BayWa r.e. accelerates offshore activities in Italy

BayWa r.e. is accelerating its offshore wind activities in Italy, with their Italian portfolio boasting over 9GW of projects in varying development stages.

The country commissioned its first offshore wind project in 2022 which was also the first offshore wind project in the Mediterranean Sea.

BayWa r.e. has a total of 14 floating offshore wind power plants under development in Italy. Integrated into a global offshore wind team, a dedicated offshore project development team has been set up in Rome and the company is developing offshore wind power plants in several Italian regions - two in Lazio, two in Puglia, four in Sardinia, and six in Sicily.

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Giulia Lo Bianco, head of offshore wind at BayWa r.e. Italy explained, "Our significant project pipeline reflects our determination to support a green and sustainable future in Italy. Over the next years, BayWa r.e. will continue to invest resources and expertise to implement innovative solutions such as offshore wind, to not only contribute to a concrete path towards decarbonisation for Italy, but also create economic opportunities and promote sustainable development at a regional level."

BayWa r.e. estimates that three to five of these projects in Italy will be commissioned by 2030, corresponding to a total capacity of around 2GW. This forecast considers the development processes, regulatory assessments and technical considerations necessary to ensure the quality and safety of the projects.

An investment of approximately €6 billion ($6.4 billion) will be required for the development and construction of the plants. 

Felipe Cornago, managing director offshore wind at BayWa r.e. said, “Offshore wind provides remarkable efficiency and consistency and can be a game changer to achieve key climate goals in Europe. Our growing offshore pipeline demonstrates our dedication to advance the deployment of offshore wind power – an essential pillar of the energy transition. BayWa r.e. is fully committed to playing a leading role in driving forward this transition, and with our new global structure and local expertise, we are all set to elevate our offshore activities to the next level." 

Italy is said to have an abundance of offshore wind potential which makes it ideal for the development of offshore wind projects because of its morphological characteristics and the configuration of its seabeds according to the Strategic Study of the Floating Offshore Wind Community.

Enlit Europe will be in Milan, Italy on 22-24 October, find out how to get involved here.