Saipem and Divento, a joint venture between Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners (CIP) and GreenIT, have signed a collaboration agreement involving the application of STAR 1, Saipem’s proprietary technology for floating wind.
The pair will focus on the 7 Seas Med projects in Sicily and Ichnusa Wind Power in Sardinia, with the aim of supporting their participation to the first auction planned under the Fer2 Decree.
Saipem was selected after a competitive technical-economic feasibility procedure.
STAR 1 is a technology developed for the making of semi-submersible floating wind foundations.
The 7 Seas Med floating wind project, located in the Strait of Sicily over 35 km from the coast, with a capacity of 252MW and a yearly production of about 800GWh, is the first of its kind in Italy to receive the environmental compatibility decree from the Ministry of Environment and Energy Security.
Ichnusa Wind Power is a project that will be developed by the namesake company about 40 km from the south-western coast of Sardinia, with a capacity of 504MW and a yearly production of about 1.6 TWh of renewable energy.
Both initiatives are in the development phase and awaiting the completion of the definition of the regulatory framework for the first auctions for Italian innovative renewables technologies, among which floating offshore wind.
The collaboration agreement between Saipem and Divento brings together two strong entities, their respective skills and long-term strategic approach, aimed at the implementation of all project phases, the companies said.
Paolo Bellucci, chief executive of GreenIT, said: “This agreement further strengthens the development of our 7 Seas Med and Ichnusa projects, which are at the forefront of floating offshore wind in Italy.
“Together with Saipem, Divento could act as a pioneer, facilitating the dissemination of local expertise and the construction of logistics infrastructures, fostering the growth of this new and important industrial sector in our country.”
Kunal Patel, partner at CIP, added: “We are pleased to announce this collaboration with Saipem for our floating offshore wind projects in Italy.
“Saipem is a global company with great experience in the implementation of subsea EPCI projects, a strategic requirement to accelerate our projects.
“Floating offshore wind can play an important role both for the Italian industry and for the production of safe and renewable energy.
“We therefore await clarifications on the CfD system for floating offshore wind, which is essential to allow this potential to materialize.”