Portugal Targets 10 GW in Giant Offshore Wind Auction in 2023

As Portugal accelerates efforts for energy transition, the government has further raised the target for its debut offshore wind power auction to 10 gigawatts (GW).

In June, the government committed to tender 6-8 GW of projects, which was already double the target it had set at the start of 2022.

Portugal’s Environment Minister Duarte Cordiero made this announcement in an appearance before a parliament committee on Wednesday.

The auction is scheduled to take place next year, and according to Cordiero, the technical details and list of coastal places to be considered are being prepared.

The need to fast track Portugal’s transition to renewable energy stems in part from the ongoing energy crisis triggered by the war in Ukraine.

“We have urgency and we’re going to accelerate everything that is renewable. We want to launch a large offshore wind auction and our ambition is to reach 10 GW of capacity,” said Cordiero.

With this level of government commitment, Portugal’s offshore wind supply chain is poised to grow. It will also likely increase demand for floating wind technology, as Portugal’s coastal waters are deep.

According to a study commissioned by the Portuguese government back in 2017, the potential for offshore wind installation in the country is much more significant for floating turbines (40 GW) than for fixed ones (3.5 GW). This is due to the slope of the Portuguese continental shelf. Currently, Portugal has one small 25 MW floating wind project off its Atlantic coast.

In terms of the supply chain, the Portuguese company ASM Industries has an existing concession with the Port of Aveiro to facilitate manufacturing of offshore wind towers and foundations.