SPAIN

SUPPORTING POLICIES FOR OCEAN ENERGY

NATIONAL STRATEGY
No relevant changes for ocean energy strategy have happened in Spain since 2011, when the Spanish Renewable Energy Plan 2011-2020 was approved. This plan included targets for ocean energy (100 MW of installed power by 2020) however, these targets seem now difficult to achieve due to the lack of specific supporting policies for ocean energy. The Basque Government approved in 2016 its Energy Strategy for 2030, which included a specific initiative to speed up technology and commercial development for marine energy and set a target of 60 MW by 2030.

Regarding the regulatory framework, no dedicated consenting process exists for ocean energy technologies in Spain but there are several legal documents affecting ocean energy projects:

• The Royal Decree 1028/2007 establishes the administrative procedure for processing applications for electricity generating facilities in territorial waters. Although it focuses on offshore wind, it also includes electricity generation from other marine renewable technologies.
   
• Law 2/2013, of 29 May, for protection and sustainable use of coastal and amending the previous Coastal Law of 1988. It provides the legal framework for occupation of the territorial sea, as well as governing issues affecting the fishing sector and safety conditions for maritime navigation.
   
• Law 21/2013, of December 9th, establishes a simplified process on Environmental Impact Assessment for all marine energy projects

MARKET INCENTIVES
There are no specific market incentives for ocean energy in Spain but for renewable energy installations in general. In February 2017, the Ministry of Energy updated the retributive parameters of the electricity production from renewable energy sources in the context of the Law 24/2013 of the Electric Sector. The Mutriku wave power plant is receiving funding under this scheme which partially covers the investment already done and its operation.

In December 2017, the pre-commercial public procurement tender launched by EVE in 2014 reached to the end. This fact implies that OCEANTEC presented the results of the tests carried out in BiMEP and a “Due Diligence” that guarantees the completion of a technological level TRL6-7.

PUBLIC FUNDING PROGRAMMES
There are several R&D public funding programmes in Spain no specific for ocean energy but applicable in competition with other sectors. In addition, there are a couple of programmes more specific for ocean energy:

• OCEANERA-NET COFUND is an initiative of eight national and regional government agencies from six European countries, which has received funding from the European Union under the Horizon 2020 Programme for Research and Innovation. The participating countries / regions are: the Basque Country, Brittany, Ireland, Pays de la Loire, Portugal, Scotland, Spain and Sweden. The aim is to coordinate support for research and development in ocean energy, to encourage collaborative projects that tackle some of the key challenges identified for the sector as it progresses towards commercialisation. The project launched the first co-funded call during 2017 and approved projects are expected to start in 2018.
   
• The Basque Energy Agency (EVE) launched a new call of its “Demonstration and validation of emerging marine renewable energy technologies” programme in 2017. As previous calls, the programme has a budget of 2,5 M€ for a maximum of 3-year duration projects,