The installation of offshore wind farms is rising, driven by the goal of changing the global energy matrix. However, many of their possible impacts are still unknown. Increased noise levels, disruptions to food chains, pollution due to traffic, and impacts on fishing communities and tourism are all potential effects to consider. Marine habitats are essential carbon dioxide sinks. Therefore, losing marine biodiversity due to offshore wind farms can be counterproductive in mitigating climate change. Balancing biodiversity conservation, wind potential, and political interests is challenging. Today, Uruguay has significantly decreased the fossil share in its electricity generation, incorporating electricity generation from wind, solar, and biomass energy alongside hydroelectricity. In line with this, the country’s Hydrogen Roadmap highlights green hydrogen as relevant, potentially serving as a fuel for both domestic and export transportation. Combining the country’s strong base of wind energy production experience with its sustainable policy, it plans to implement offshore wind farms to produce green hydrogen, making studies of its impacts crucial. This paper reviews the current social and environmental information on the Uruguayan coastal habitat, analyzes onshore wind farms’ ecological studies, and examines offshore wind farms’ global environmental and social impacts. Finally, it proposes studies for environmental approval of offshore wind farms.

Installation of offshore wind farms is rising, driven by the goal of changing the global energy matrix. However, many of its possible impacts are still unknown. Increased noise levels, disruptions to food chains, pollution due to traffic, and impacts on fishing communities and tourism are all potential effects to consider. Marine habitats are essential carbon dioxide sinks. Therefore, losing marine biodiversity due to offshore wind farms can be counterproductive in mitigating climate change. Balancing biodiversity conservation, wind potential, and political interests is challenging. Today, Uruguay has practically decarbonized its electrical matrix, incorporating wind, solar, and biomass energy alongside hydroelectricity. In line with this, the country's Hydrogen Roadmap highlights green hydrogen as relevant, potentially serving as a transportation fuel for both domestic consumption and export. Combining the country's strong base of wind experience with its sustainable policy, it plans to implement offshore wind farms to produce green hydrogen, making studies of its impacts crucial. This paper reviews the current social and environmental information on the Uruguayan coastal habitat, analyzes onshore wind farms' ecological studies, and examines offshore wind farms' global environmental and social impacts. Finally, it proposes suggested studies for environmental approval for offshore wind farms.

The RIBIERSE-Cyted network—Network for the Large-Scale Integration of Renewable Energies in Electrical Systems (723RT0150; 2023–2026)—serves as a collaborative platform bringing together researchers and technology specialists from Ibero-American universities, companies, and local authorities. La red RIBIERSE-CYTED constituye una plataforma de cooperación científica y tecnológica que integra universidades, empresas e instituciones de 22 países iberoamericanos para promover la incorporación masiva de energías renovables en los sistemas eléctricos. Durante 2025, la red consolidó su funcionamiento mediante el desarrollo de proyectos de investigación, programas de movilidad, actividades de formación, eventos científicos y publicaciones colaborativas, alcanzando un total de 209 productos académicos y técnicos. Estos resultados evidencian el fortalecimiento de la cooperación internacional y su contribución al avance de la transición energética y la descarbonización del sector eléctrico en Iberoamérica.