The Port of Tarragona is committed to becoming the hub for offshore wind power.

TarragonaThe European Community's goal of being completely carbon-neutral by 2050 requires obtaining energy from various sources, and one of these is floating offshore wind power, one of the Catalan government's commitments. Some countries have already begun to develop it, but in southern Europe, bidding for the first offshore wind farms is just beginning. In Catalonia, they will be installed in the Gulf of Roses and the Gulf of Lion. Both projects are currently awaiting environmental impact reports, but the government is confident of being able to put them out to tender soon. The project in the Gulf of Roses alone—which will have between 50 and 60 generators—should be capable of producing 1,000 megawatts, half of what the government wants to generate with this technology by 2050. It should be noted that these are structures over 180 meters high. In addition to the floating windmills on the Catalan coast, there will also be windmills in Sardinia and Sicily (between 2028 and 2029) and also on the coast of France.

The expansion of this new technology generates new business opportunities and the Port of Tarragona has been positioning itself for some time to become the hub necessary logistical support. The port's electrification process and its expansion—it will gain 19 hectares by 2030—make it a good candidate: "We will have space available when the Mediterranean needs offshore wind power," said the president of the Port of Tarragona, Santiago J. Castellà, this morning. He is optimistic: future large offshore wind farms, but also thanks to the port's characteristics in terms of draft and the future spaces that are being planned to accommodate this new activity."

The wind turbines will have to be assembled, towed out to sea, the cables tensioned, the structures secured, and also constant maintenance performed. "It is an especially strategic sector," said Castellà.

Institutional support

The Port of Tarragona's commitment received a significant boost this morning in the form of political and institutional support, with the visit of the Regional Minister for Territory, Silvia Paneque, and the Director of the Catalan Energy Institute, Anna Camps, as well as the presidents of the Chambers of Commerce of Tarragona and Reus and various business leaders in the sector interested in this new technology. "What we are presenting today is not an idea; we already have interested companies and have signed confidentiality agreements with others," Castellano explained.

Regional Minister Paneque argued that this is an "absolutely crucial infrastructure" and asserted that "the new industrial, sustainable, and green revolution is a great economic opportunity for Catalonia." Paneque stated that "the government is fully committed to making Tarragona a hub for the logistics of floating offshore wind energy in Catalonia, Spain, and Europe." Regarding the visual impact these giant windmills have both at sea and on land, the minister stated that "consensus is needed," but warned that it is "a change that cannot wait."