Spain’s Council of Ministers has approved maritime spatial plans – the so-called POEM – of the Spanish marine demarcations, which includes spaces for offshore wind development.
The plans relate to the five Spanish marine zones: North Atlantic, South Atlantic, Strait and Alboran, Levantine-Balearic and Canary Islands.
Among these around 5000 square kilometres is reserved for offshore wind development.
The POEMs are intended to allow optimal use of maritime space, reducing conflicts and promoting coexistence while ensuring protection of sensitive and vulnerable ecosystems, habitats and species, including those protected by regional, national or supranational regulations.
The POEMs are renewed every six years.
In the process of preparing the POEMs, a set of Priority Use Areas (SPAs) for activities of general interest and other High Potential Areas (ZAP) have been identified.
The ZAP areas include port activity as well as the development of offshore wind energy and marine aquaculture.