Spain approves new national energy and climate plan

Spain approved a new draft national energy and climate plan (Necp) on Tuesday, alongside a new law regulating offshore wind capacity auctions.

The cabinet approved the new plan for 2030, which will be sent to Brussels in the coming days, environment minister Teresa Ribera said on Tuesday.

The new draft lays out Spain's goal of reaching 81pc of generation from renewables by 2030, but the final text will be made public in the official gazette in the coming days, alongside a new law regulating offshore wind capacity auctions, Ribera added.

Spain could use up to 0.46pc of its territorial waters for offshore wind and tidal projects. But the country's fishing unions have been critical of plans to develop offshore wind plants, with Ribera saying that proximity to other industries, such as fishing, will be one of the factors under consideration in deciding project sites.

Spain's deep seabed will require floating offshore wind farms, with only pilot projects currently in operation. This makes the development of offshore wind more complex and expensive, Iberdrola chief executive Ignacio Galan said.

By Thess Mostoles