OWF Studies – Offshore Wind Energy in Portugal
Coordinated by IPMA under the PRR, the Estudos OWF project has gathered 2,167 linear km of geophysical data off Leixões and Figueira da Foz, with the 2025 campaign studies expected to conclude in June/July 2026, supporting the upcoming offshore wind auction.
The project "Estudos OWF – Technical Studies on Offshore Energy Potential", coordinated by the Portuguese Institute for the Sea and Atmosphere (IPMA) under the PRR, supports offshore wind farm developers by monitoring oceanographic, meteorological and geophysical variables — wind, waves, depth and seabed characteristics — to reduce risks in planning and licensing.
Surveys and timeline
In 2024, IPMA and the Instituto Hidrográfico completed multibeam and seismic surveys off the Portuguese coast, acquiring 2,167 linear km of geophysical data (ultra-high-resolution multichannel seismic and sub-bottom profiler) in the Leixões and Figueira da Foz areas, aboard the vessel Mário Ruivo. The 2025 offshore geophysics and geotechnics campaign began on 12 May, with the corresponding studies and reports expected to conclude in June/July 2026 — which may require adjusting the timeline of the seabed concession auction, potentially planned for the first half of 2026, so developers have access to the data in time.