The Secretary of State for the Sea, Lídia Bulcão, reaffirmed this Thursday in Baku (Azerbaijan) the Government’s commitment to offshore wind energy, which can lead the country towards “ambitious climate objectives.”
“Floating wind platforms, located further from the coast and capable of taking advantage of stronger winds, are an essential piece of our national strategy and align perfectly with the objectives of the Paris Agreement and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals 13 and 14, addressing both climate action and life underwater,” the official stated.
Lídia Bulcão spoke at the Oceans Pavilion at COP29, the UN climate conference that has been taking place for two weeks in the capital of Azerbaijan and will end on Friday.
In the national space, the Portuguese Institute of the Sea and the Atmosphere (IPMA) presented, this Thursday, the project “Technical studies for marine energy potential”, debating the role of new technologies for the production of renewable energy in the open sea , its challenges and alliances.
“As a country with a rich maritime heritage, Portugal recognizes the enormous potential of the ocean. Not only as a natural treasure to preserve, but also as a source of energy and sustainable resources, which can propel us towards ambitious climate goals,” said the Secretary of State, at the beginning of the session in the Oceans Pavilion. where hours before he also participated in a panel on the role of the oceans in carbon neutrality.
The IPMA project, which arises from a joint decree last August (offices of the Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries and the Secretary of State for the Sea) will last until the end of 2026 and aims to collect geophysical and geothermal data, taking into account the objectives to harness wind energy at sea.
It represents “our efforts to develop scientific research, which allows us to responsibly and innovatively exploit offshore wind resources”, and is “a clear example of how we can unite knowledge, innovation and international collaboration to face the challenges of climate change and prepare the future.” of our blue economy,” stated the Secretary of State.
It is, he added, “an essential step towards the first geological and geophysical recognition of the areas identified as potential for the exploration of offshore wind energy in maritime Portugal”, and the “largest oceanographic campaign ever carried out on board the Mário Ruivo research from IPMA”.
And also about the project, the Secretary of State said that it will be fundamental for “the construction of a robust value chain for offshore wind energy, for the creation of qualified jobs and for the strengthening of the energy sector.”
Source: Observadora
