On February 7th, Resolution of the Council of Ministers No. 19/2025 approved the Offshore Renewable Energy Zoning Plan ("PAER").
This plan identifies the areas suitable for the installation of offshore wind farms in the national maritime space and includes an assessment of the potential impact of these infrastructures on the marine environment, aiming to ensure they can coexist in a balanced way, protecting biodiversity, commercial fishing, and maritime transport.
The PAER allows for an installed capacity of approximately 9,4 GW for commercial projects. marks the first step toward the offshore wind energy auction, which, according to the National Energy and Climate Plan, aims to install 2 GW by 2030; and includes some differences from the proposal submitted for public consultation, which can be reviewed in detail here.
These differences reflect the concerns of the fishing sector, which raised the main objections to the initially proposed area, particularly regarding the protection of navigation corridors and access to ports.
As a result, the maritime area covered by the PAER has been reduced to 2,711.6 km², which represents a decrease of 470 km² compared to the proposal submitted for public discussion, as follows:
- The northern area of Viana do Castelo has been reduced to 229 km2 for a capacity of 0,8 GW (previously with a capacity of 1,9 GW);
- The southern areas of Viana do Castelo and the Ericeira zone have been cancelled; and
- The Leixões area has been set in 722 km2 with a capacity of 2,5 GW (previously with a capacity of 2 GW).
The total area now approved includes a new 5.6 km² zone in Aguçadoura (Póvoa do Varzim), intended for the installation of research and/or non-commercial demonstration projects.
The access to the areas defined in the PAER for commercial projects will be carried out through a government-initiated procedure, as outlined in Article 64 of Decree-Law No. 38/2015: this will be procedure to establish the areas assigned to the tenders for the installation of wind energy projects.
This Resolution came into effect on February 8.
The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.
