The developer of a 1GW floating wind site off Italy in the Adriatic Sea has submitted its final project scope to the Italian authorities.
Developer Maverick, controlled by Green Bridge, has revised its plans for the Molise Offshore Wind Farm, which will comprise 70 turbines in an array between 21km and 40km from Molise.
The developer has dropped plans for a green hydrogen production plant, reducing the machines from the original 120.
Maverick estimates the €2.1bn project will begin installing the turbines between January 2028 and December 2033.
The floating wind farm will be connected to the National Transmission Grid (NTG) at the Terna station in the municipality of Montecilfone.
Among the significant changes to the project, the two offshore electrical substations, which were initially planned to be installed on platforms anchored to piles driven into the seabed, will instead be floating platforms, with a reduced environmental impact, equal to that of the generators.
With regard to location, the northern section of the plant has been almost completely eliminated in order to create direct access to the port of Termoli, incorporating the requests of the fishing community, requested “in order to facilitate access to the port”.
The area the wind farm will cover has been reduced from 295 square kilometres to 219 square kilometres as a result of the revisions.
The turbines will be located in waters spanning depths of a minimum of 88 metres and a maximum of 126 metres.
The 70 machines will be 15MW, at a height of 140 metres and a diameter of 236 metres.
The project proposes to use Vestas V236-15.0MW units.
Two different types of floating platform will be used, comprising the Gazelle floater for the 15MW wind turbines, to be assembled within the port of Vasto, while BW Ideol will provide the platforms for the offshore substations.