Wind Energy – Floating Wind Italy
Recently, the 250MW 7SeasMed Floating Offshore Wind Project was granted approval of its Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) by the Italian Ministry for Environment and Energy Security.
This is the first EIA approval for a floating offshore wind project in Italy and marks an important milestone to jumpstart the offshore wind industry and support Italy’s renewable energy and climate goals.
Copenhagen Offshore Partners (COP), a global leader in offshore wind development and construction, serves as lead developer for the project, which is owned by a consortium including GreenIT, the Italian renewable energy joint venture between Plenitude (Eni) and CDP Equity (CDP Group), and Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners (CIP), a global leader in greenfield renewable energy investments.
7SeasMed is a 250MW floating offshore wind project that will be located approximately 35 kilometers off the coast of Marsala, Sicily. Approval of the EIA paves the way for construction and operation of the offshore wind farm, which will use cutting edge-technologies and environmentally-conscious practices. 7SeasMed also positions Sicily as an important hub for renewable energy generation in Italy and bolsters the country’s commitment to carbon neutrality.
“We are delighted to receive EIA approval for the 7SeasMed floating offshore wind project off the coast of Sicily,” said Michele Schiavone, COP Italy CEO and Project CEO for 7SeasMed. “This represents a significant achievement in our mission to accelerate the energy transition and combat climate change. The project underscores our commitment to pioneering innovative solutions that balance energy needs with environmental stewardship.”
“The EIA Decree is the result of our robust and collaborative approach to all environmental disciplines, including stakeholder engagement and dialogue the 7SeasMed team has conducted with public bodies at both the national and local levels” said Alan Hannah, COP Partner and Europe Market Development Lead. “Floating offshore wind is moving from demonstration to first industrialisation and we are proud to have 7SeasMed play a key role in this momentum.”
7SeasMed is part of a larger 3GW offshore wind portfolio in Italy owned by the GreenIT and CIP partnership, and of which COP serves as lead development partner. This is one of the largest floating portfolios in Italy and in addition to 7SeasMed it includes the Ichnusa (504MW, Sardinia) Tyrrhenian (500MW, Latium), Nurax (500MW, Sardinia), and Poseidon (1000MW, Sardinia) projects.