Renexia selects Aker Solutions for the Mediterranean's largest floating offshore wind farm

Renexia, through its subsidiary Renext Solutions, has signed a front-end engineering and design contract (FEED) with our member Aker Solutions to design the underwater substations for Med Wind, the most significant floating wind farm project in the Mediterranean Sea, off the coast of Trapani. Aker Solutions will work in close cooperation with its alliance partner ABB.

Saverio Ventrelli, leader of the Working Group for Italy in Norwegian Offshore Wind, comments:

-Med Wind, with an expected capacity of almost 3GW, will probably be one of the largest floating wind projects and could be one of the first +1GW projects installed in the world. The latest news about the FER II decree underscores the attractiveness both in scale and scope of the Italian offshore wind market.

The agreement involves the design of eight modules, two for each section of the Med Wind park, to be laid on the seabed of the Strait of Sicily, at a depth of between 520 and 660 metres, into which the cables of the plant's floating turbines will be conveyed. 

-The main takeaways from this existing news are twofold. Firstly, it shows that innovative Norwegian solutions are competitive with the state-of-the-art solutions globally. It is a good example for other Norwegian companies to follow. Secondly, it shows that full scale demonstrations are crucial for market introductions. Our METCentre is an excellent platform for full scale demos, says Tor Arne Johnsen, who is responsible for the Italian market in Norwegian Offshore Wind.

Pioneering project

The energy produced by the rotation of the blades will then arrive on land, at the Partanna and Partinico power stations, via a system of submarine and land-based cable ducts.

This is the first time Aker Solutions is engaged in an offshore wind project in the Mediterranean Sea. The company was chosen thanks to its many years of experience with advanced technology solutions for offshore oil & gas and renewables. Studies conducted by its consultancy branch identified significant savings in CAPEX and OPEX compared to alternative options, paving the way for the development of a unique solution.

In addition to its proven technological efficiency, Renexia opted for the innovative Aker Solutions module because of its small footprint, resulting in minimal impact on the marine ecosystem. The module's components also played an important role in Renexia's choice, as they do not require any major maintenance work for the 25 years of Med Wind's concession.

-Aker Solutions’ approach has all the parameters we were looking for: solidity, breakthrough technology and environmental impact reduction. We are delighted that the partner selected will join us on this important and challenging path, which will culminate in the construction of the first large-scale floating offshore wind farm in the Mediterranean Sea, said Paolo Sammartino, COO of Renexia.

The start of the design phase of these important elements was made possible by the results of oceanographic campaigns carried out over the past few months on the seabed where Med Wind will be built. The collected samples and analyses, along with studies of sea currents, helped identify the most suitable areas for the entire plant. These surveys also confirmed that the project meets all sustainability criteria and aligns well with the marine environment. Moreover, no sites of historical or archaeological significance were found anywhere near the area where the turbines will be moored.

Mediterranean a growing market

-This award confirms Aker Solutions’ leading position in subsea power technologies for the offshore wind industry. It builds on our extensive proven experience from oil & gas and our close cooperation with clients and our subsea power alliance partner ABB. From the early stages of the project, we’ve worked together with ABB to identify the most sustainable, robust and cost-effective solutions, said Jo Kjetil Krabbe, executive vice president of Power Solutions at Aker Solutions. 

-The award also represents a step forward in our strategy to support international offshore wind developments in growing areas like the Mediterranean Sea.

Med Wind will be developed in several stages and, once fully operational, will be able to produce about 9 TWh per year of clean energy, equal to the energy needs of 3.4 million households and equivalent to 3% of the national energy demand, an important step for the energy transition path undertaken by Italy.

Finally, the project will help create jobs in Sicily over the six years planned for the construction of the plant and for maintenance activities over the following 25 years.