Falck Renewables and BlueFloat Energy have set up Minervia Energia, a new company to develop a floating offshore wind farm off Catanzaro, Italy.
The developers have chosen Calabria as a location for the proposed 45-turbine Minervia Energia floating wind farm in the Gulf of Squillace, 13-29 km from the coast.
The proposed wind farm would have an installed capacity of 675MW.
Electricity from the wind farm could also be used to produce 45,000 tonnes of green hydrogen a year, said the developers.
The partnership builds on Falck Renewables’ “strong local presence and development track record” in Italy combined with BlueFloat Energy’s expertise in floating offshore wind.
They submitted a request for a maritime concession to the Ministry of Infrastructure and the Port System Authority of the Southern Tyrrhenian and Ionian Seas at the beginning of December.
The partners have started the preliminary consultation or scoping process which will define the environmental impact assessment study.
In addition to generating clean energy, the Minervia Energia project is based on a collaborative approach which shares value with the communities near the wind farm.
In line with their other projects the developers are holding a series of meetings with local stakeholders to share more information about the proposed project.
The developers are also proposing using the region’s main port during construction and long-term maintenance of the wind farm.
Partnerships with universities and technology companies would be an opportunity to promote the area as a future hub for innovation, research and development.