Five projects in Apulia, Calabria and Sardinia, an investment of 14 billion Euro, 20 thousand jobs, an installed capacity of 4.6 GW and an expected energy production of 14 TWh/year (4% of the gross domestic consumption by 2030)
Milan, 1st April 2022 – Five floating offshore wind farms off the coasts of Apulia, Calabria and Sardinia for a total investment of 14 billion Euro, a direct and indirect employment impact of about 20.000 jobs, 8 million tons of CO2 saved every year and an annual production equivalent to the consumption of about 3.9 millionhouseholds. These are just a few numbers to describe the five projects presented to the Ministry for Ecological Transition by Falck Renewables and BlueFloat Energy in a joint partnership to make this ambitious development plan operational.
“Floating offshore wind turbines represent an extraordinary turning point because they minimise the environmental impact and allow producing large amounts of renewable energy,” said Toni Volpe, Falck Renewables CEO. “Our projects aim to accelerate the ecological transition and facilitate the achievement of the Italian decarbonisation and energy independence objectives, which are made even more urgent in the wake of the current geopolitical situation. In this context, a strong political push is also needed to speed up and simplify the authorisation process to build the farms”.
The maximum power of the plants will be 4.6 GW that will ensure an energy production of 14 TWh/year, equal to 4% of the gross domestic consumption in 2030. In addition, the five floating wind farms will provide an important incentive to controlling climate change, to reach 24% of the installed wind renewable power target, as established by the Integrated National Energy and Climate Plan for 2030.
To arrange and manage the authorisation process for the five floating wind farms, Falck Renewables and BlueFloat Energy have established ad hoc companies – Minervia Vento (Calabria), Kailia Energia and Odra Energia (Apulia,) and Nora Ventu (Sardinia) – in order to be even closer and more present in the territories involved by the single projects.
“The floating wind farms we intend building in the five locations in Southern Italy stand out for their high technology, which allows placing the wind turbines in very deep seas, like the Mediterranean, without having to build fixed foundations, thus minimising the impact on the environment and the marine ecosystem,” said Carlos Martin, BlueFloat Energy CEO. “These are highly efficient and sustainable plants, able to generate enormous benefits in terms of energy production because they are able to intercept where wind is most present, limiting any interference with coastal activities, fishing and navigation as much as possible”.
The project of the five floating wind farms will represent an extraordinary opportunity for local and national companies, which Falck Renewables and BlueFloat Energy will turn to as a priority for the supply of goods and services. In addition, it will also contribute to revitalising the port infrastructures, which will be the focus of all the assembly, management and maintenance activities of each farm. Besides, some abandoned and disused port areas will also be redeveloped to become equipped areas for the operational management of the various sites.
“We firmly believe that floating wind farms are the renewable energy production system that best suits a country like Italy: with over 11,000 km2 of coastline, Italy cannot miss the opportunity to look to the future and produce clean energy for citizens and businesses in an absolutely independent and constant way ‘at home’. We are especially proud to develop these projects as part of this first major partnership, which is ready to put a stake on this type of plants in Italy with a total investment of 14 billion Euro,» said Ksenia Balanda, offshore wind Italy General Manager of the partnership. “These projects can directly and indirectly generate about 20,000 jobs at regional and national level, enhancing the Italian skills and talents through an ongoing and high-level training, encouraging local supply chains and fostering collaboration with Italian universities and research centres.»
Contacts:
Falck Renewables
Giorgio Botta – Investor Relations – Tel.+39 02 2433 3338
Elena Roda – Media Relations – Tel. +39 02 2433 2297
BlueFloat Energy
Nailia Dindarova – Government and Regulatory Affairs Director – Tel. +34 (0) 610 53 31 41
SEC Newgate Italia
Daniele Pinosa, Fabio Santilio, Elena Castellini, Sara Brusa Pasquè – Tel. +39 02 6249991
