BlueFloat, Renantis Submit EIA for 1.3 GW Italian Floater

January 15, 2024, by Adnan Memija

Renantis and BlueFloat Energy have submitted the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) study for the Odra Energia floating offshore wind project to the Italian Ministry of Environment and Energy Security (Mase) and the Ministry of Culture (MiC).

The EIA study, which marks the beginning of the EIA procedure for the floating offshore wind project, comprises a set of documents detailing the intended project hypothesis and it will be published for public consultation in the coming weeks, according to BlueFloat Energy.

In 2021, the Renantis and BlueFloat Energy partnership began a voluntary environmental scoping process, opening the project to the observations of local authorities, associations, and other local, regional, and national stakeholders.

This has facilitated closer alignment with the expectations of the local communities and has resulted in several project adjustments, such as a 30% increase in the distance of the proposed wind farm from the coast compared to initial plans, and a reduction in the number of turbines to be located in the first rows, according to the partners.

The project proposes 90 floating wind turbines for an expected maximum installed capacity of about 1,300 MW and an expected production of about 4 TWh/year. This is equivalent to the consumption of more than one million Italian households, avoiding more than two million tonnes of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere per year, said the partners.

The overall investment in project construction and development is estimated at more than EUR 4 billion.

Around 1,500 direct jobs are expected through the wind farm’s manufacturing, assembly and construction phases, with up to 4,000 during peak activity periods, and more than 150 permanent jobs estimated for the entire lifespan of the wind farm, estimated at 30 years.

“To successfully achieve first production by the end of the decade, we will continue to refine the design, construction, and operation plans for this wind farm, ensuring that we deliver the best project possible,” said Ksenia Balanda, General Manager of Renantis-BlueFloat Energy Partnership for Italy.

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Renantis, previously known as Falck Renewables, and BlueFloat Energy formed a partnership to develop floating wind projects in Italy in 2021.

Along Odra Energia, the two partners have five offshore wind projects under development in Italy: the 675 MW Minervia Energia wind farm in the Gulf of Squillace, the 1.4 GW Nora Energia 1 and 2 wind farms in the Gulf of Cagliari, the 1.2 GW Kailia Energia off Brindisi, and the 975 MW Tibula Energia.