WebGIS decision support tool for offshore wind spatial planning
The development of offshore wind farms in the Mediterranean Sea is paramount in the European energy industry to guarantee more sustainable and secure energy production. SPOWIND aims to support stakeholders, active in the field of marine energy, in the decision-making of suitable maritime locations, offshore wind technologies and energy transfer solutions.
The document presents both a methodology and a WebGIS decision-support tool for offshore wind spatial planning in the Mediterranean and Adriatic regions. It integrates environmental, technical, and economic datasets to identify suitable offshore wind areas and evaluates case studies across five case study.
The decision support tool is available at: https://spowind-webgis.polito.it/
Project
SPOWIND 
Mission
Innovative Sustainable Economy
Production year
2025
Type of result
Tool
Target audience
Higher education and research organisation, Local public authority, Regional public authority
Covered areas
Coastal area, Marine area
Keywords
Blue economy, Climate change adaptation, Climate change and biodiversity, Renewable energy, Sustainable management of natural resources
Partners
Polytechnic University of Turin (POLITO), Energy Institute Hrvoje Pou017ear (EIHP)
Issues addressed
The document addresse the lack of integrated spatial decision-support tools for offshore wind development in the Mediterranean, where complex environmental constraints, deep-water conditions, and competing maritime uses make site selection particularly challenging. By combining maritime spatial planning, environmental exclusion criteria, wind resource modelling, and techno-economic indicators, it offers a practical tool to move from theoretical potential to realistic and investment-ready site selection.
Added value of the result
Its added value lies in integrating spatial planning constraints, environmental exclusions, grid proximity, and full life-cycle techno-economic modelling (LCOE, AEP, NPV, IRR) within a single WebGIS framework tailored to Mediterranean conditions. It incorporates bathymetry-driven technology differentiation (floating vs bottom-fixed) and applies a harmonized methodology across multiple countries, enabling comparability and regional strategic planning.
Transferability potential
The tool demonstrates strong transferability due to its transparent methodological workflow, use of standardized indicators (LCOE, AEP, technical potential), and multi-criteria filtering logic based on publicly available datasets. Implementation in other areas requires access to comparable spatial, environmental, wind, and grid data, as well as institutional alignment with Maritime Spatial Planning frameworks. The structure is replicable and adaptable to other marine renewable energy contexts.
Contribution to SDGs
SDG 13 - Climate action, SDG 7 - Affordable and clean energy, SDG 9 - Industry, innovation and infrastructure
Contribution to the Strategies and EU Policies
A new approach for a sustainable blue economy in the EU, Marine spatial planning, Marine Strategy Framework Directive
