The development of floating offshore wind (FOW) in Spain and Portugal presents substantial opportunities for industry, yet it also faces critical challenges that must be urgently addressed.

This is emphasised by Imke Maassen van den Brink, Director and Senior Consultant at AFRY Netherlands, who leads the study on collaboration opportunities for Dutch companies in Iberia.

“To meet their 2030 floating wind targets, Spain and Portugal must urgently resolve uncertainties in their tender frameworks,” states the executive.

Currently, Spain has over 30 GW in planned projects, mainly located in the Canary Islands, North Atlantic, Strait and Alboran, and Levantino-Balearic areas. Meanwhile, Portugal targets 2 GW in its first auction in 2025, with long-term potential of up to 10 GW.

Speaking to Strategic Energy Europe, Maassen van den Brink explains that infrastructure is progressing steadily in both countries: the onshore grid is ready for initial projects and ports are undergoing upgrades.

In Spain, Atlantic ports are already manufacturing and exporting foundations and towers, supported by public funding to transform at least one Atlantic and one Mediterranean port into floating wind hubs.

In Portugal, the extension of port concessions to 75 years has enabled long-term planning, including dredging and the construction of new factories for towers and floaters.

According to AFRY’s report, the ports of Ferrol, Avilés, and A Coruña stand out for their export experience to Northern Europe, while Cádiz is positioned as a key logistics node for southern Iberia.

A Coruña has granted concessions to seven foundation manufacturers for its “outer port,” though the transformation is contingent on pending government subsidies.

In the Mediterranean, Castellón aims to compete with more advanced French ports but requires state-level decisions to accelerate its conversion.

“The greatest opportunities for international players in early phases lie in site studies and port expansion,” notes Maassen van den Brink.

She highlights that detailed metocean and site investigations are yet to be executed, amid high global demand for such services.

The report confirms this trend, identifying significant potential for international firms to engage in engineering, port design, and dredging — such as Van Oord, highlighted as a concrete player capable of contributing to Iberian port expansion — as well as in EPCI, T&I, and O&M services in the medium term.

Although local players like Nautilus FS and Dragados are active, the lack of installation vessels and specialised subsea infrastructure limits regional capacity.

“There are no local subsea construction or cable laying contractors, and there’s a shortage of WTIVs and support vessels (AHTs, OSVs) suitable for commercial floating wind farms,” warns the executive.

Among the regulatory and financial risks, Maassen points to inflationary pressures and commodity price volatility, which affect even mature bottom-fixed wind markets.

“To attract investors, robust tender frameworks, streamlined permitting, and well-designed support schemes are needed — such as CfDs with high ceiling prices and indexation to inflation,” she emphasises.

Auctions

The report notes that Spain has yet to publish key details of its 2025 tender, including the areas to be auctioned, the support scheme, and the offshore grid’s role.

In Portugal, an April 2025 decree committed to releasing partial rules in June and full regulations by October, but the first deadline has already been missed.

“Clear and timely communication on rules and timelines is essential to unlock developer confidence and investment,” stresses Maassen van den Brink.

International references

AFRY suggests the Netherlands as a model, having reduced project risks through turnkey sites with permits and grid connection, clear legal frameworks, and stable roadmaps.

There, the government balances price and qualitative criteria in tenders, encourages innovation, and maintains an open and ongoing dialogue with the industry.

In this context, Maassen van den Brink argues that a similar strategy could catalyse the take-off of floating wind in Iberia.

She also highlights France, where structured dialogue between government and industry led to the award of several commercial-scale floating wind projects.

Meanwhile, Italy and Denmark are replicating similar approaches. “France has shown that early engagement with developers leads to successful outcomes,” the executive affirms.

Offshore wind Spain and Portugal market study 2025