Around the world with Team Norway: Italy joining the wave of offshore energy
“With its deep waters, Italy’s coastline is similar to Norway’s," says acting director at Innovation Norway Italy, Mauro Migliavacca.
The key areas for offshore wind in Italy are Sicily, Sardinia and the Puglia region, the latter of which is known as the “Heel of Italy”.
“In all these regions, the sea depth is significant – even reaching a thousand metres in some parts of the central Mediterranean – so we're primarily talking about floating technologies in Italy,” he says.
Although the focus on offshore wind in Italy is relatively new, the country is now poised to join the push for a huge expansion of renewable energy production in Europe.
New legislation attracts tremendous interest
The process of developing offshore wind in Italy has been slow. It began about four years ago at the government level, but progress has been hampered by a lack of specific legislation for offshore wind auctions and subsidy schemes. Major developers believed it was too early to invest, given that the regulatory framework was unclear. Now, however, thanks to new legislation that came in June, FER2, it’s a different story.
“That all changed in June 2024 when the government released a decree that includes subsidies for several renewable sectors, including offshore wind. The new legislation provides for the subsidy of 3.8 GW of offshore wind, which will almost entirely be floating projects due to our deep waters,” says Migliavacca.
According to him, Italy is handling more than 100 GW of permit requests for locations throughout the south.
“There are a lot of developers asking for a lot of gigawatts of capacity. So, the interest is there. The response has been really strong. But out of this 100 GW, developers will only ultimately be granted permission to build and produce 3.8 GW.”
WindSim boosts profitability of onshore wind energyWindSim wind flow modelling software increases energy production on wind farms. “We make wind energy more profitable. If you have the terrain, we have the most accurate wind information possible. Wind farms can get the most from their resources and increase their bankability,” says Arne Gravdahl, founder and CTO of WindSim.
GeoProvider uses data mining to reduce offshore wind costsGeoProvider provides subsurface risk management for offshore wind, lowering the cost of offshore wind projects while boosting safety for humans and the environment. “GeoProvider is a pioneer in data processing for offshore wind, enabling the expansion of this crucial industry,” says Wim Lekens, CTO of GeoProvider.
Norwegian substations to power Sicily’s first floating wind farm
Norway’s Aker Solutions recently won a front-end engineering design (FEED) contract with Italian developer Renexia for the underwater substations for the Med Wind floating offshore wind project. The very first floating wind farm in the Mediterranean Sea, Med Wind will feature 190 floating turbines and have a capacity of 2.8 GW.
Under the agreement, Aker Solutions, in collaboration with ABB Norway, will design eight subsea modules, two for each section of the Med Wind project, to be laid on the seabed in the Strait of Sicily at a depth of 520 to 660 metres. The modules will house the cables for the wind farm’s floating turbines.
The project will not only supply clean energy to 3.4 million homes, but it will also support job creation in Sicily, marking a significant milestone in Italy’s renewable energy transition.
Norwegian expertise can fill the gaps in floating offshore wind
This contract will likely be the first of many for Norwegian companies. Regardless of which consortia receive final authorisation for their floating offshore wind projects, there will be a huge demand for solutions and services that Norway can deliver.
“Last year, we had two delegations from Norway that brought around 15 companies across different parts of the supply chain to Italy.”
Mauro Migliavacca
Acting Director at Innovation Norway Italy
Norway has, for example, unparalleled expertise in floating and subsea technologies.
“Building floaters is not just about building the floaters: you have to place them in the sea, anchor them, connect them, monitor them. It’s a very complicated process and the Norwegians are currently the global leaders in this part of the supply chain,” he points out.
Migliavacca would also like to see heavyweight Norwegian developers play a major role in Italy. As the regulatory landscape solidifies, this could be a crucial moment for Norwegian companies to assist and benefit from Italy’s emerging renewable energy market.
Automasjon & Data’s helideck monitoring systems prevent accidentsAutomasjon & Data delivers helideck monitoring systems for offshore wind farms, increasing worker safety while reducing operational costs. “Our state-of-the-art systems are making the offshore wind industry safer and more profitable,” says Jon Arne Silgjerd, Sales and Business Development Director at Automasjon & Data.
Baltoflake steel coatings prevent offshore wind turbine corrosionBaltoflake coatings from Jotun are high-performance coatings that prevent steel corrosion and extend the life of offshore wind assets, supporting the transition to renewable energy and sustainable operations.
“Secondly, there’s potential for big developers like Equinor and Aker Solutions to strengthen their cooperation with local players to participate in upcoming auctions. Since there’s already a strong connection between the Italian and Norwegian industries at a high level, it could be relatively easy to build on that. But they need to act fast because the auction timeline is tight, with the first auction likely in December 2024, and the window for participation closing by 2028,” says Migliavacca.
With new legislation now in place, the wind is blowing in Italy’s sails.
“The next few years will be very important and exciting for Italy. We hope big partners come on board and join our important mission to expand offshore wind in Italy,” concludes Migliavacca.
Take a deep dive into Norway’s offshore wind industry
Norway has competitive and natural advantages in offshore wind, particularly floating wind, and is an attractive partner in large-scale projects. Click to read articles, discover solution providers and find events where you can meet Norwegian companies.