The experimental offshore wind farm planned for the Gulf of Roses enters the final phase of its processing according to sources from the Ministry for Ecological Transition. The project, promoted by the Generalitat and the Catalonia Institute for Energy Research (IREC), is awaiting the environmental approval from the ministry before the construction of the test platform can begin.
Pending environmental resolution and new requirements
The ministry's technical teams, under the direction of Sara Aagesen, are finalizing the studies prior to the resolution. The environmental impact statement (EIS) has become stuck in Madrid after the Generalitat sent all the necessary documentation on the ecological impact of the three projected wind turbines in 2024. The response did not arrive and, after weeks of administrative silence, the ministry requested additional information.
Among the demands transferred to the Generalitat, the need for a specific study on the flight of shearwaters, protected pelagic birds, stands out. Sources familiar with the case indicate that these birds rarely exceed 10 meters in height, while the planned wind turbines reach 260 meters. The ministry has requested documentation that proves the risk of collision.
Impact on marine fauna and birds
One of the main objectives of Plemcat, the R&D Platform in Marine Energies of Catalonia, is to measure the real impact of infrastructures on marine fauna and birds through monitoring systems and cameras. In addition, the ministry has requested an analysis on hake breeding areas to evaluate the possible consequences of the project on fish populations.
The message coming from the Government points to an imminent unblocking of the project, but the initial calendar that foresaw seeing wind turbines on the sea in 2026 is already discarded.
Offshore wind energy auction and public consultation
The Catalan Government still has to determine which territories will be included in the offshore wind energy auction, a process that has not yet begun. The prior public consultation to decide the areas and the bases of the tenders closed the response period on February 24. Ministry sources point out that the idea is to launch the auctions in the territories where there is most interest.
The offshore wind farm of the Gulf of Roses is conceived as the first experimental floating wind farm of Catalonia. The project is awaiting a resolution which, according to ministerial sources, will arrive very soon.