Spain has opened a public consultation on a new set of rules for offshore wind energy production, laying the groundwork for auctions of sea-based concessions, the Energy Ministry said on Monday.
The sector had been urging the government to publish the new regulatory framework in order to meet its offshore wind target of up to 3 gigawatts (GW) by 2030.
To speed up the rollout of offshore wind farms, lease areas, remuneration schemes and grid connections will be allocated at the same time under the new rules.
Moreover, auctions can now take into account qualitative criteria, such as the creation of local jobs and environmental impact, in addition to technical and economic ones.
Spain has earmarked 147 million euros ($159.5 million) for pilot projects in this field.
($1 = 0.9214 euros)
(Reuters - Reporting by Pietro Lombardi; editing by David Evans)