Publication of Royal Decree on Marine Renewable Facilities

This morning the Royal Decree 962/2024, of September 24, which regulates the production of electricity from renewable sources in offshore installations (hereinafter, “RD 962/2024”), was published in the Official State Gazette and will enter into force tomorrow 26/09/2024.

Its main purpose is to regulate this type of technology, as well as the competitive procedure required for the authorization of these installations.

Within its scope of application are marine renewable installations located in all marine waters, including the seabed, subsoil and natural resources, subject to Spanish sovereignty or jurisdiction, as well as those located in zones I and II of the ports of general interest of the State.

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We can already highlight the following provisions of the standard:

• The following will be granted through a single competitive procedure: (i) the economic regime for renewable energies, (ii) the reservation of access capacity in a specific node of the transmission network and (iii) priority in the granting of the concession for the occupation of the maritime-terrestrial public domain.

All this will be conditioned to the registration in the electronic registry of the economic regime of renewable energies in operation status.

• The referenced procedure will include a public dialogue phase in which all the actors affected by these installations will be able to participate in order to favor social acceptance and their coexistence with other uses of the sea.

Its content will be determined in the Order approving the bases of the competitive concurrence procedure.

• In order to initiate the processing of administrative authorizations, marine renewable installations must be linked to bids awarded in the competitive bidding procedure, with certain exceptions for innovative installations and installations located in ports of general state interest.

In short, this RD 962/2024 is a great step forward for the development of marine renewable installations in our country, and shows the interest of the General State Administration in promoting this kind of installations. Likewise, this regulation, really expected by the sector after several years on the table, will contribute to the fulfillment of the linked climate objectives assumed by Spain -among which we highlight those contained in the recently approved update of the PNIEC- and by the European Union for the years 2030 and 2050.

However, it will be necessary to wait for the publication of the Ministerial Order regulating the bases of the competitive concurrence procedure and the Ministerial Order announcing the same in order to know exactly the particularities of said procedure.

ONTIER’s Energy Area is at your disposal for any additional questions or clarifications you may require in this regard.