Data centres present a “golden opportunity” for offshore wind power

The expansion of data centres could create the “right opportunity” for offshore wind to become viable in Portugal, says Pedro Amaral Jorge, head of the Portuguese Renewable Energy Association, in an interview to ECO, highlighting a potential link between digital infrastructure growth and large-scale energy investment.

Pedro Amaral Jorge said rising electricity demand — increasingly driven by data centres — may provide the scale needed to accelerate offshore wind projects, arguing that the sector now has “the right opportunity” to move forward. He added that these projects can “stimulate demand and bring robust companies into the equation”, improving the economic case for investment.

The leader of the Portuguese Renewable Energy Association suggests that offshore wind development in Portugal has been progressing “at the pace that is possible”, reflecting regulatory and execution constraints. While interest from investors remains — with dozens of companies still engaged — the timeline for a competitive auction stays uncertain, with completion by year-end considered to be “difficult”.

“We will need to invest in both offshore and onshore transmission grids. For consumption of up to 2 gigawatts, the investment required for the onshore transmission grid is modest, but we need to develop the offshore part of the grid. We also need to create the right market framework to ensure that these projects are viable and bankable”, he underlined.

Beyond domestic factors, Pedro Amaral Jorge also points to shifting global dynamics, including policy changes in the United States, which could redirect investment flows towards Europe. However, persistent bottlenecks such as project licensing continue to weigh on progress in Portugal.