In early July, the third EU-SCORES Stakeholder Event took place in Porto, Portugal. 

Hosted by the EU-SCORES project’s Portuguese partners: WavEc and INESC TEC, the two-day event centralised the discussion on crucial advancements and strategic directions for offshore renewable energy in Europe. In particular, latest multi-source offshore renewable energy developments, the potentials of the associated technologies and the role & impacts they play when it comes to the Atlantic Ocean were discussed together with around 100 attendees consisting of experts, policymakers, and industry leaders.

National Perspective on Offshore Renewable Energy Development

Representatives from eight European countries shared their perspectives and experiences in developing and implementing regulations for multi-source and offshore renewable energy (ORE), highlighting both progress and remaining challenges across policy, planning, and permitting.

A recurring theme throughout the discussions was the alignment between tendering processes, grid connection planning, and environmental considerations. In Portugal, DGEG emphasized the inclusion of multi-source capabilities as non-price criteria in auctions, assessed through weighted scoring systems. Complementing this, the DGEM presented detailed evaluation criteria for offshore site selection. Notably, Portugal’s Allocation Plan for Offshore Renewable Energy (PAER) has expanded the designated area to 2,706 km², with a targeted technical capacity of 9.4 GW, signalling the country’s increasing commitment to renewable deployment.

France’s Ministry for the Ecological Transition (DGEC) shared updates on upcoming tenders, including AO10 (8–10 GW) expected in 2025. France applies a Contract for Difference (CfD) scheme with a revenue stabilisation mechanism, weighting tariffs at 70% of the bid evaluation. Germany’s BSH outlined its Site Development Plan for the North Sea (2025), which prioritises integrated site and grid development to avoid the misalignments that previously delayed project delivery. Spain’s Maritime Administration focused on lifecycle safety and pollution prevention, largely drawing from established offshore oil and gas standards.

Other countries reinforced the push toward multi-use maritime zones and co-location of energy technologies. Ireland’s Department of Climate, Energy and Environment showcased a structured marine planning hierarchy, which embeds co-location and stakeholder engagement into spatial decision-making. Belgium emphasised its shift toward multi-use and technology-agnostic tendering in the upcoming Maritime Spatial Plan (2026–2034), aiming to integrate innovation within shared zones. Similarly, the Netherlands’ North Sea Programme (2022–2027) targets 10.7 GW of offshore wind and encourages multi-source integration, backed by healthy ecosystem principles. The Dutch government also presented the SDE++ mechanism – a sliding premium subsidy based on CO₂ reduction costs – to support pre-commercial and emerging technologies, including hybrid systems.

The UK, represented by Wave Energy Scotland (WES), is actively testing co-location of wave and wind energy using joint tank and numerical modelling. The upcoming UK Marine Energy Taskforce (2025) is expected to further promote innovation in site-sharing and hybrid development models.

Tying these national efforts together, the European Commission underscored its commitment to strengthening governance and coordination through the Ocean Pact, promoting ocean health, resilience, and competitiveness of the blue economy. The Commission is also leading revisions to the Marine Spatial Planning (MSP) directive and working to accelerate permitting processes across Member States, which are critical steps toward scaling integrated offshore renewable energy across Europe.

The Policy Summit concluded with 6 key findings:

– Shared ambition to scale up ORE and reach climate targets, including 300 GW by 2050 and a 90% greenhouse gas emission reduction.
– Growing interest in multi-use solutions, such as combining offshore wind, offshore solar and wave energy, to optimize the use of space and lower costs.
– Need for marine spatial planning, streamlined and simplified permitting, and integrated one-stop shop processes. European guidance documents can advise on how to accelerate permitting while also including innovation and non-price criteria to consenting processes.
– Importance of open data access, to which the EU-SCORES project contributes with its datasets and open-access deliverables, cross-border knowledge sharing, and policy alignment to accelerate deployment.
– Crucial role of public funding and government support to drive innovation and de-risk investment.

Stakeholders Perspectives

The local stakeholder event explored the societal, economic, and value chain impacts of offshore renewable energy (ORE) projects in two panel discussions: one about the Local Economy and Societal Impact and one on the Local Value Chain Impact. 

There were constructive discussions between different port authorities about strategies to facilitate the roll-out of ORE. Recent stakeholder consultations demonstrated that there is still a lot to learn from one of the oldest users of the Portuguese sea: the fishery sector. Participants also visited CPO’s factory in Viana do Castelo, gaining insight into the winding process and the scale of wave energy converters (WECs).

The EU-SCORES Stakeholder Event brought together various stakeholder perspectives to advance the conversation on sustainable and integrated offshore renewable energy. Trust, data transparency, and collaboration were highlighted as essential drivers for unlocking investment and public acceptance. Overall, the discussion demonstrated a collective shift from national and regional development toward an ecosystem-based, multi-stakeholder model, ensuring that Europe’s offshore renewable ambitions are both economically viable and environmentally responsible.