According to the Wind Energy Association (AEE) Annual Report, 2023 has been a year of continued growth for wind energy globally, with the Asia Pacific region leading growth and China consolidating itself as the country with the greatest capacity. wind installed worldwide.
Indeed, wind energy continues to play a key role in the transition to a more sustainable and decarbonized energy system around the world. Precisely, the congress that is being held these days in Cádiz focuses on the offshore wind industry, which is experiencing strong development in countries such as Germany, the United Kingdom and the United States and is also making inroads in Spain.
Spain technological hub
This is understood by Rocío Sicre, president of the Wind Energy Association, who assures that “Spain has an opportunity to position the Spanish offshore wind industry as an international benchmark. In this area, and specifically floating technology, Spain is a technological and industrial hub worldwide.”
In Spain, until now, the development of onshore wind energy has been prioritized, but for a few years, also considering the specificity of some island territories such as the Canary Islands or the Balearic Islands, attention has been turned to the offshore wind industry. shore” as a complementary technology that gives Spanish companies the opportunity to generate an industry and knowledge that can be exported to other countries where the only possibilities for wind development are also floating.
According to the aforementioned report, Spain has a privileged position as the first developer of offshore wind prototypes in the world, port infrastructure with great potential as logistics hubs and a naval industry that is already diversifying its activity towards the construction of marine structures and ships. to support offshore wind farms.
Offshore wind in the world: perspectives
According to the Wind Energy Association Report, an annual growth rate for offshore wind over the next five years is estimated at 28%, which will allow installed power to triple in 2028 compared to 2023.
China and Europe will be the two key contributors to this growth, with more than 85% of new additions in 2024 and 2025. In the United States, 30 GW of new capacity is expected in 2030, becoming the largest offshore wind market after China and the UK in terms of new recruits.
Origin and sources of wind energy
Wind energy is a source of clean energy that is obtained by taking advantage of the force of the wind that occurs on land or at sea, where it reaches a higher and more constant speed. There are two main types of wind energy depending on where it is generated, onshore wind energy, also called onshore wind energy, and offshore marine wind energy:
Onshore wind energy: In onshore wind, the wind turbines are placed on land and are responsible for producing electrical energy from terrestrial air currents. These wind turbines are installed in wind farms located in areas where the intensity and frequency of the winds is predominant.
Offshore wind energy: Offshore wind energy is generated by wind turbines that are installed offshore to take advantage of the powerful winds that occur in the open sea.
Everything seems to indicate that, with an orderly development, respectful of the environment and compatible with other uses and activities at sea, the offshore wind industry can become an engine of industrial development, economic activation and the creation of new jobs for Spain.