Offshore wind power and aquaculture in the Canary Islands

Abstract

Renewable energy production is a priority challenge for societies, as highlighted by the industrial policies of the European Union (EU). In parallel, there is a need to develop alternative solutions for food production and food security. In this context, aquaculture of lower trophic groups, such as bivalves and algae, is of particular interest to policy-makers, as it does not intensify pressures on terrestrial ecosystems. In this study, we intend to address one of the crucial issues related to MSP: the effective planning of sites for wind farms and aquaculture in coastal areas where space is limited. To this end, we take the island of Gran Canaria as a case study. The EU-funded AquaWind project exemplifies this potential, with the installation of the W2Power prototype, a large-scale floating offshore wind farm. This innovative technology allows wind turbines to operate in deep-sea areas, offering numerous benefits, including reduced environmental impact and cost. We compared the offshore wind distribution in same costal aquaculture sites on the wetern side of Gran Cnaria island, in order to establish the most formable conditions for the co-location of both technologies.