The Marbella council and environmental groups have rejected plans for offshore wind farms on the Costa del Sol due to several concerns. The projects were approved by the Maritime Space Management Plan (POEM) on February 28, but the local authorities criticized the lack of dialogue with them before the approval.
One of the main concerns raised by the Mayor of Marbella, Angeles Munoz, is the negative impact on tourism. Marbella is a popular tourist destination, and the wind farms could potentially harm the natural beauty of the coast and deter tourists from visiting the area. The Association of Municipalities of the Costa del Sol also criticized the state government for not consulting with local councils before advancing the offshore wind farm projects.
Another group that has raised concerns about the offshore wind farms is the fishing sector. The president of the Fishermen's Association of Marbella, Manuel Haro, has highlighted that the wind farms could harm shrimp and lobster trawlers that operate around 15 miles from the coast. The location of the wind farms would impact four boats in the municipality of Marbella and 15 in the town of Fuengirola. Haro hopes that the State will engage in dialogue with the fishermen's collective to provide more information on the project.
Ecologists have also expressed concerns about the potential environmental impact of the wind farms. They have highlighted the seagrass meadows in Calahonda, the lighthouse of Calaburras, and the dunes of Cobopino, which are protected areas. The proposed wind farms would be floating, but they would be anchored to the ground, which could impede migratory routes for different species between the Mediterranean and the Atlantic. The location of the proposed projects is also along key migratory routes for birds from the European continent to Africa.
Additionally, the ecologists were surprised that one of the proposed locations is between Marbella and Estepona, where the wind may not be strong enough to justify the projects' construction and maintenance. They suggested that the Strait of Gibraltar or the coast of Galicia would be better suited to such wind farms.