Harnessing offshore wind while preserving the seas

Europe's marine environment faces increasing demands from maritime sectors and this briefing addresses the often-conflicting demands on the marine space. This briefing highlights the need for informed planning to meet climate goals and safeguard marine biodiversity.

Key messages

• Europe seeks to increase offshore wind energy production by more than 16 times by 2050. Increased generation of renewable energy is a critical element of decarbonising Europe’s economy.
• Europe also aims to expand marine protected areas to 30% by 2030, with a large share of this future network located in coastal zones. The current installed offshore wind turbine capacity is located in these relatively sensitive coastal zones (depth down to 60m), which are more vulnerable to climate change and impacts from human activities than offshore marine areas.
• The deployment of offshore renewables can be combined with other measures benefitting the environment. For example, offshore wind installations can offer space where fish stocks recover and can be combined with food production from sustainable aquaculture.
• Considering trade-offs and implementing maritime spatial planning are crucial to align the EU’s ambitions for offshore renewable energy growth with the protection of the marine environment. Maritime spatial planning can help deliver a co-existence between clean energy, the protection of seas and adequate space for other uses of the marine environment, including transportation, fishing and recreation.