In the coming days, Portugal is preparing to launch a call for “demonstrations of interest” for developers seeking to build offshore wind farms off its Atlantic coast.
In this first auction round, the Portuguese government has announced intentions to proceed with developing offshore wind power in the regions of Viana do Castelo, Leixões, and Figueira da Foz, reaching up to 3.5GW of total capacity.
This corresponds to the first step in Lisbon’s ambitious target to reach 10GW of installed capacity through a total investment of €30bn-€40bn by 2030.
To mark this step Portugal’s centre of excellence – WavEC Offshore Renewables – is preparing to stage an international seminar in collaboration with the Netherlands Embassy in Lisbon, attracting global leaders from across the offshore wind sector.
WavEC chief executive Marco Alves said: “We are thrilled to be hosting our annual seminar at such an exciting moment, aligned with the open call for demonstrations of interest and the pre-qualification phase.
“The Portuguese government is currently defining its strategic approach to the structure of ownership and responsibility for the installation of the electricity transmission infrastructure and the regulatory framework.
“In parallel, entities including WavEC, are actively supporting interested parties who seek to enhance understanding of the auction process, by offering expertise in legal, environmental, economic, and technical aspects.”