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Italy is installing a large floating hybrid photovoltaic and wind power plant in the sea
March 2, 2024 evwind
A 540 megawatt (MW) hybrid floating wind and photovoltaic floating wind farm will be developed off the southern coast of Italy in the Ionian Sea.

Dutch-Norwegian solar company SolarDuck, Italian investment fund Arrow Capital and Italian developer New Developments are jointly developing the Corigliano project, which will be in the Gulf of Taranto, off the Calabrian coast of Corigliano-Rossano:



Offshore PV specialist SolarDuck, Italian investment fund Arrow Capital and Italian developer New Developments have signed an agreement to develop a 540 MW floating wind-solar project off the coast of Italy.

The hybrid marine plant will be located in the Gulf of Taranto, off the coast of Corigliano-Rossano, in Calabria. It will have 28 floating wind turbines with a cumulative capacity of 420 MWp and 120 MWp of floating photovoltaic energy.

The development is part of the Green Arrow Infrastructure of the Future Fund (GAIF) and is currently under permit with an estimated commercial operation date in 2028.



The project will feature SolarDuck’s elevated platform technology, which allows photovoltaic panels to be deployed in waves of significant heights, while maintaining a safe working environment for access and maintenance and minimizing environmental impacts.

“With the current momentum, we believe this is a unique opportunity for the marine renewables industry to help shape a favorable regulatory framework and facilitate the scale-up of OFPV,” said SolarDuck CEO Koen Burgers. “This is not only important for Italy, but also for other Mediterranean countries.”

SolarDuck presented its first demonstrator project in 2021. It deployed the 64 kW system at a coastal site on the Waal (Rhine) River, near IJzendoorn, the Netherlands.

Its floating panels hold the solar panels more than 3 meters above the water surface and are capable of withstanding coastal sea conditions and hurricane-force winds. The systems are optimized for offshore sites in estuaries and natural harbors, as well as nearshore sites.

Basic floating platforms are triangular structures measuring 16 meters x 16 meters x 16 meters. They resemble floating offshore wind platforms or floating oil platforms and can be flexibly connected to each other to form large plants.

IB Vogt sells 245 MW PV farm to Iberdrola

03/01/2024

Developer IB Vogt announced the sale of Italy’s largest solar photovoltaic project to multinational utility Iberdrola. The 245 MW solar farm codenamed Fenix is located in Sicily, and scheduled to commence construction in March of 2024.

Commercial operation is expected to begin in the second quarter of 2025. In alignment with IB Vogt’s values and commitments, the company is dedicated to bringing lasting positive impacts to the region, covering environmental, economic, and social benefits. This includes a large scale reforestation initiative, a research cooperation with the University of Palermo on soil quality and other environmental compensation measures.

The project marks ib vogt’s first construction in Italy and was developed by a dedicated team from the ground up. The sites for the solar plant have been carefully selected and will be built on land of scarce agriculture value and high desertification risks. A thorough archaeological surveillance was conducted to ensure no archeological relevant locations are affected. Additionally, IB Vogt is maintaining environmental monitoring during construction and throughout the lifetime of the solar farm.

Bifacial solar panels with south-facing orientation

The project will be connected to the grid through a 150 kV grid connection and uses state of the art bifacial solar panels with a south-facing orientation maximising the energy production. The electricity generated annually by the solar park is estimated to be equivalent to the average consumption of more than 140,000 households and will save 119,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions per year.

See also: Schletter Group installs 48 MW project in Italy

"With this huge success, we are not only setting a new local record but also establishing ourselves as a leading developer in Sicily, a legacy that we plan to maintain and extend across Italy.”, said Anton Milner, CEO of IB Vogt. “Large players in the energy market like Iberdrola are actively working on expanding their renewables portfolio and we are happy to support these efforts with our turn-key solar projects. We have a multi GW pipeline in Italy and another project set to go into construction this year.“

Italie : record de production d'énergies solaire et éolienne en 2023

Euronews Green 24 janvier 2024

Les énergies solaire et éolienne ont produit une quantité record d'électricité en Italie l'année dernière, a déclaré cette semaine Terna, l'opérateur du réseau électrique du pays.

Les parcs éoliens ont généré un record de 23,4 térawattheures (TWh) d'énergie l'année dernière, tandis que les panneaux solaires ont dépassé leur précédent total pour atteindre 30,6 TWh.

Toutes les sources renouvelables, y compris l'hydroélectricité, ont répondu à près de 37 % de la demande d'électricité du pays, contre 31 % en 2022.

Mais l'Italie n'est toujours pas sur la bonne voie pour atteindre son objectif de transition énergétique, qui est de produire 70 % de l'électricité à partir de sources renouvelables d'ici à 2030.

"Ces chiffres montrent que le secteur italien des énergies renouvelables sort enfin de son sommeil", indique, à Euronews Green, Chris Rosslowe, analyste principal des données sur l'énergie et le climat au sein du groupe de réflexion Ember.

"Cependant, l'augmentation de la production renouvelable semble meilleure qu'elle ne l'est en réalité en raison d'une reprise de la production hydroélectrique après une année 2022 marquée par la sécheresse", précise-t-il.

Pour atteindre son objectif de 2030, le plan national italien pour l'énergie et le climat (NECP) montre que la production éolienne et solaire doit augmenter de 17 % par an - contre environ 13 % l'année dernière.

Selon Terna, la capacité d'énergie renouvelable augmentera de 5,8 gigawatts (GW) en 2023. C'est 2,7 GW de plus que le chiffre de ces nouvelles "activations" vertes l'année précédente.
Mais ce chiffre reste inférieur à la croissance annuelle d'environ 9 GW nécessaire jusqu'en 2030, souligne Chris Rosslowe.
Si les énergies renouvelables ont connu une hausse générale, l'opérateur note que la production hydroélectrique a particulièrement augmenté, retrouvant ses niveaux antérieurs après une année 2022 marquée par la sécheresse.

L'augmentation de l'énergie verte s'est accompagnée d'une baisse de la production d'électricité à partir de centrales au gaz et au charbon, de 17,4 % et 42 % respectivement.

Le déclin de la production italienne de combustibles fossiles a également été favorisé par une baisse de 2,8 % de la consommation d'électricité par rapport à 2022 - une conséquence continue de la crise énergétique, selon Terna. Les importations d'électricité en provenance de l'étranger ont également contribué à cette baisse.

"La forte baisse de la production des centrales au charbon", explique Terna, est "une conséquence de la suspension en 2023 des initiatives visant à maximiser l'utilisation des centrales au charbon introduites au plus fort de la crise du gaz".

Qu'est-ce qui fait avancer les énergies éolienne et solaire en Italie - et qu'est-ce qui les freine ?
L'année dernière, le directeur exécutif de l'Agence Internationale de l'Energie (AIE), Fatih Birol, a déclaré que le monde était en train d'opérer une transition "inarrêtable" vers les énergies propres.

Cette dynamique est évidente non seulement dans la croissance des énergies éolienne et solaire en Italie, mais aussi dans la technologie environnante qui aide les énergies renouvelables à prospérer.

Terna fait l'éloge du rôle des interconnexions dans la version 2023, "en tant qu'outil permettant l'efficacité et la sécurité du système électrique".

"Parallèlement à la croissance des énergies renouvelables, le développement du stockage de l' électricité s'accélère", ajoute Chris Rosslowe. "Des plans sont mis en place pour soutenir le développement de nouvelles capacités de stockage afin de gérer en toute sécurité la croissance des énergies renouvelables".

Toutefois, des problèmes sous-jacents subsistent aux niveaux national et local. Selon l'AIE, le déploiement des énergies renouvelables en Italie est "plombé" par des procédures d'autorisation longues et complexes.

Le gouvernement italien approuve des investissements pour la transition énergétique

AFP le 28 nov. 2023

Le gouvernement italien a adopté lundi un décret visant à stimuler les énergies renouvelables, à améliorer la sécurité énergétique du pays et à soutenir les entreprises à forte intensité énergétique.

"Nous voulons libérer le grand potentiel de notre pays, pour en faire une référence en matière d'énergies renouvelables", a déclaré le ministre de la Transition écologique, Gilberto Pichetto, dans un communiqué.

Les mesures, qui incluent la réduction des formalités administratives pour des projets d'énergie verte et l'affectation de zones appartenant à l'Etat à la production de parcs éoliens, "représentent 27,4 milliards d'euros (29,9 milliards de dollars) d'investissements", a-t-il déclaré.

"Nous voulons accélérer le développement des énergies renouvelables pour servir les objectifs de 2030", a-t-il ajouté.

Le décret intervient quelques jours seulement avant la COP28 des Nations unies à Dubaï, dont les objectifs portent sur le maintient du réchauffement climatique à une moyenne de 1,5°C au-dessus des températures préindustrielles, sur la baisse de 43% des émissions de gaz à effet de serre d'ici 2030 par rapport aux niveaux de 2019.

Le texte du décret adopté lundi "poussera les régions à construire des infrastructures d'énergies renouvelables" et comprend des mesures pour inciter quelque 3.800 entreprises, à forte intensité énergétique comme les industries du verre et du textile, à recourir à des sources d'énergie verte.

En matière d'éolien offshore, des "zones maritimes appartenant à l'Etat" dans deux ports du sud de l'Italie seraient sélectionnées pour "la production, l'assemblage et le lancement de plates-formes flottantes", précise le communiqué.

Le décret déclare également que la construction et l'exploitation de projets de terminaux de gaz naturel liquéfié (GNL) terrestres constituent des "interventions stratégiques urgentes d'utilité publique, non-ajournables", a indiqué M. Pichetto dans un communiqué.

Cela devrait favoriser l'accélération des travaux de deux terminaux terrestres GNL dans le sud de l'Italie, à Porto Empedocle en Sicile et à Gioia Tauro en Calabre.

Selon certains détracteurs, les nouvelles infrastructures gazières constituent un gaspillage de ressources et compromettent les politiques en faveur de la décarbonation.

Tunisia-Italy Interconnector (ELMED) Project

The ELMED Interconnector Project is a planned bi-directional power exchange link between Italy and Tunisia. The 600MW capacity project will be the first direct current connection between Europe and Africa.

The construction of the 220km long connector will entail an investment of around €850m.

It will be developed by Italian electricity transmission system operator Terna and Tunisian state-owned electricity and gas utility company STEG.

Construction work on the project may start in 2024, with completion expected in 2028.


Project Background
Initially, an electricity connection between Italy and Tunisia was planned with a 1GW power line and a 1.2GW power plant in Tunisia.

In 2011, the project was scaled down to a 600MW line and the plan to build the power generation plant in Tunisia was scrapped.

In June 2007, the Governments of Italy and Tunisia signed a joint declaration entrusting Terna and STEG to develop the interconnection project and connect the electrical networks of the two countries.

Subsequently, STEG and Terna established the Tunisian joint company ELMED Etudes Sarl, to carry out all the necessary studies and pre-construction activity of the ELMED Interconnector.

In 2016, the project became part of Terna’s National Electricity Transmission Grid Development Plan and Ten-Year Network Development Plan formulated by the European Network of Transmission System Operators.

In October 2019, STEG and Terna signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to intensify their industrial collaboration on the project. The project was also included on the European Commission’s list of Projects of Common Interest (PCI).

The Italian grid operator completed the public consultation phase for the project in July 2021.

In December 2022, the Italian Ministry of the Environment and Energy Security commenced the authorisation process for the ELMED project.

ELMED Interconnector Route
Marine and environmental studies were conducted to identify the best route for the interconnection to minimise the project’s impact on the seabed and ecosystems.

The ELMED Interconnector will link the Italian island of Sicily to the Tunisian peninsula of Cape Bon via a High Voltage Direct Current (HVDC) submarine cable.

The 220km long system will stretch from the electrical substation at Partanna in Sicily to the substation at Mlaabi in Capo Bon.

A 200km long undersea power line will cross the Strait of Sicily connecting the two landing sites on the two sides. The subsea section will have a maximum depth of 800m.

The length of the connection from the landing point on the Tunisian coast to the Mlaabi converter station will be 6km. On the other hand, the underground cable will run for 18km from the landing site to the Partanna converter station in Sicily.

ELMED Infrastructure
A 500kV/600MW sub-sea HVDC cable will be used to connect the Partanna electrical substation, located in Trapani (Sicily) with a newly built substation in Menzel Temime (Mlaaba), the Cape Bon peninsula in Tunisia.

Key infrastructure of the project will include undersea cable routes, converter stations and onshore underground cables. It would also include two electrode lines to connect the electrodes laid in the seabed.

A new 400kV overhead transmission line (OHTL) will also be built to connect the interconnector to the Tunisian grid.

This double-circuit 120km long OHTL will run from the new HVDC converter station to the Mornaguia electrical substation in Tunisia.

Project Financing
In June 2023, the World Bank Group Board of Directors approved $268.4m in financing for the ELMED project. The financing will be used to build the main converter station and sub-stations on the Tunisian side.

In August 2023, the European Commission signed an agreement with Terna and STEG to provide a loan of €307m for the interconnection.

The authorisation procedure for the award was launched by the Italian Ministry of the Environment and Energy Security in late 2022. The European Commission agreed to provide the loan via the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF), the European Union (EU) fund established to support key projects to optimise energy infrastructure in the region.

The ELMED project is supported by the Government of Italy, the EU, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, the European Investment Bank, and the German Development Bank KfW.

Benefits of the Interconnector
Once complete, the ELMED Interconnector will enable the transmission of renewable energy supporting Tunisia’s sustainable development and climate change strategy.

In the long run, the project will also enable Tunisia to export electricity to other North African countries.

It will also increase the exchange of electricity generated via renewable sources, and support energy transition by lowering carbon dioxide emissions by more than 200 tonnes per annum.

Contractors Involved

ELMED Etudes Sarl engaged a joint venture (JV) led by HPC ITALIA to prepare the Environmental and Social Framework (ESF) instruments and associated studies, among other technical and financial studies.

Other JV partners are IDEACONSULT, Proger, Elard, and Plexus Energy.

In July 2021, RINA, in a JV with the Tunisian subsidiary Comete Engineering, secured the contract for the marine feasibility study for the Italy-Tunisia Interconnection.

The submarine survey project commenced in April 2021.

Edison eyes SMR deployment in Italy

06 October 2023

Leading Italian energy player Edison has announced its ambition to construct two nuclear power plants based on EDF's small modular reactor (SMR) technology between 2030 and 2040, if the conditions are created for the return of nuclear energy to Italy.

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"Edison has the ambition to develop new nuclear power if the conditions are created for its return to Italy. In particular, Edison aims to build two nuclear power plants of 340 MW each with SMR technology between 2030 and 2040, leveraging on distinctive technological competencies of the shareholder EDF."
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Italy’s solar installations hit 2.3 GW in H1
Italy deployed 2.3 GW of new solar capacity in the first half of the year, while its cumulative installed PV capacity reached 27.4 GW at the end of March, according to Italia Solare, the national solar energy association.

SEPTEMBER 4, 2023 LARA MORANDOTTI

Italy added approximately 2.3 GW of new PV systems in the first half of 2023, up about 12% from the same period in 2022. The country reached about 27.4 GW of cumulative installed PV capacity at the end of June 2023.

About 47% of the power added in the first half of this year originates from residential installations, with recent growth driven by the commercial and industrial sector (C&I) and utility-scale projects over 1 MW in size.

“The connected power in these sectors in Q2 23 recorded an increase of 49% for the first case and 89% in the second, compared to the first quarter of this year,” said Italia Solare.

In the second quarter of 2023, connections of plants exceeding 10 MW, which had been stagnant since July 2022, resumed. Specifically, two 10 MW plants in Piedmont and Puglia, and a 36 MW facility in Sardinia saw new connections.

Conversely, the residential sector experienced a slight decline in new installations, dropping from 569 MW in the first quarter of 2023 to 528 MW in the second quarter, due to the expiration of the superbonus.

The regions with the highest share of total new capacity additions include Lombardia with 429 MW, Veneto with 353 MW, and Emilia Romagna with 235 MW.

Lombardy maintains its first-place position with 3.58 GW of cumulative power, widening the gap with Puglia, which has 3.18 GW of connected PV. In the first half of the year, Lombardy led in connected power with 429 MW, followed by Veneto with 353 MW, and Emilia Romagna with 235 MW.

Terna awards €630m contract to Prysmian for Adriatic Link submarine cable project

By NS Energy Staff Writer 08 Sep 2023

The Adriatic Link project, which is planned to be installed at a maximum depth of 100m, will significantly enhance energy exchange between Italy's central-southern and central-northern regions and contribute to the improvement of safety, efficiency, and resilience of the national electricity transmission grid

Italian transmission system operator (TSO) Terna’s subsidiary Terna Rete Italia has awarded a contract worth nearly €630m to cable solutions provider Prysmian Group for the 1GW Adriatic Link submarine cable project in Italy.

To be laid between the Abruzzo and Marche regions, the 250km long high-voltage direct current (HVDC) bipolar cable connection entails a total investment of about €1.3bn.

Under the contract, Prysmian Group will supply and lay the submarine power cables of the Adriatic Link project.

Besides, the Italian company will supply two underground cables connecting each landing point to the regional substation.

The power line will be made up of two extruded cross-linked polyethylene insulation (XLPE) submarine cables with a length of approximately 210km across the Adriatic Sea and two underground cables of around 40km.

The conversion stations will be built near the existing power substations of Cepagatti for Abruzzo, and Fano for the Marche region.

Prysmian Group expects to carry out the installation by the cable-laying vessels, namely the Leonardo da Vinci and the Monna Lisa.

The cable laying operations are expected to be completed within the first half of 2028.
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SONATRACH – ENI SONATRACH livre la première cargaison commerciale de GNL au nouveau terminal de regazéification flottant de Piombino (Italie)
édité le 11/07/2023

Dans le cadre du renforcement de ses exportations gazières, SONATRACH a livré à Eni en date du 7 juillet 2023 une cargaison de GNL de 90 millions mètres cubes de gaz au nouveau terminal de regazéification flottant de Piombino en Italie. Cette cargaison, chargée au niveau du complexe de liquéfaction GL3Z- Bethioua en Algérie, a été livrée par un méthanier détenu par la filiale HYPROC.

Cette livraison est considérée comme étant la première cargaison commerciale de ce terminal après la fin de la phase de test, ce qui marque le début effectif de l’exploitation commerciale.

SONATRACH compte accroitre ses volumes vers ce nouveau terminal sur une base régulière consolidant ainsi son rôle central dans la sécurité des approvisionnements de l’Europe, et de l’Italie notamment.

Aura Power to install 200 MW/800 MWh battery in Italy
UK-based developer Aura Power plans to build a large scale storage system in Maddaloni, southern Italy. It secured final approval for the project in early June.

JUNE 26, 2023 LARA MORANDOTTI

Aura Power said in a recent statement that it plans to build a 200 MW/800 MWh storage project in Maddaloni, in the Italian southern province of Benevento. It said that it has already secured final approval for the project.

The company said it expects to start construction in 2025. Italian law firm Legance and engineering company 3E Ingegneria will support Aura Power in the development of the facility.

“Now the Maddaloni project is a reality thanks to the forward-looking approach of Aura Power,” said Cristina Martorana, a partner at Legance.

Aura Power has more than 20 GW of solar and battery energy storage projects under development in Europe and North America.

Italy is currently preparing an auction scheme for large-scale storage that could be launched in 2024.

European Energy obtains building permit for the biggest solar farm in Italy to date
The project entails the construction of solar park with a capacity of 250 MW

By NS Energy Staff Writer 29 May 2023

European Energy is pleased to announce that it has obtained the building permit for a ground-breaking renewable energy project in the municipality of Vizzini near Catania in Sicily.

The project entails the construction of solar park with a capacity of 250 MW. Once operational, the plant will generate renewable energy equivalent to the consumption of 130,000 households, making a remarkable contribution towards electrifying the Italian society. By displacing the use of fossil fuels, this initiative will save approximately 165,000 tons of CO2 annually.

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The project in Sicily has a strong focus on the sustainability of the land that is used. In addition to renewable energy production, the project includes a comprehensive reforestation and biodiversity program covering 200 hectares of land. This initiative will further enhance the environmental friendliness of the region and contribute to the support of local biodiversity action.
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Le gouvernement italien donne son feu vert pour installer 593 MW de projets agrivoltaïques
L’administration publique a approuvé 13 projets agrivoltaïques de 593,6 MW dans les régions méridionales des Pouilles et de la Basilicate.

MAI 10, 2023 LARA MORANDOTTI
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Italy's New LNG Plant Receives Maiden Delivery

by Jov Onsat|Rigzone Staff|Monday, May 08, 2023

Italy’s newest and fourth regasification facility has received its first liquefied natural gas (LNG), paving the way for the startup of a project supplier Eni SPA said can serve about seven percent of domestic demand.

The supply came from Egypt, among several countries in Africa where state-controlled Eni has strengthened its presence to help Italy achieve independence from Russian energy.

The global oil and gas giant on Friday started offloading the cargo for the terminal in the Tuscan port town of Piombino, which can process up to 176.57 billion cubic feet (five billion cubic meters) a year, Eni said in a press release.

The consignment of six million cubic feet (170,000 cubic meters) will be used to test the plant, transporter Snam SPA said in a separate announcement.

“The arrival of the first load of gas, which will allow us to carry out the plant’s testing and fine-tuning operations, is another important step in equipping the country with an infrastructure that is fundamental to the security and diversification of supplies”, Snam chief executive Stefano Venier said in the announcement.

Eni said: “The LNG was produced at Egypt’s Damietta liquefaction plant, one of the facilities where Eni has invested with the strategic goal of growing its integrated liquefied gas portfolio”.

It has also bolstered operations in other African countries as Italy works to phase out Russian energy.

In response to President Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, the European Union is eyeing to eliminate Russian fossil fuels “well before 2030”, as stated in the 27-member bloc’s “REPowerEU” plan published March 8, 2022. Eni has said its phaseout could be achieved before 2025.

In one of the latest of Eni’s African projects, Congo-Brazzaville’s first natural gas liquefaction facility had its stone-laying April 26. Congo LNG, on the Marine XII oil and gas field, is expected to produce as high as three million metric tons of LNG yearly starting 2025. It will enable exports mainly to Europe, Eni said last month.

In Libya during Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's visit in January, Eni signed a $8-billion investment to develop two gas fields to supply Libya and Europe, as announced by the company January 28.

“Leveraging its strong relations with the countries where it operates and its trademark fast-track project development approach, Eni has increased the volumes of available gas from Algeria, Libya and Italy and increased the number of LNG cargoes from Egypt, Congo, Qatar, Angola, Nigeria, Indonesia and Mozambique”, it said.

Eni added: “Piombino’s new regasification capacity will help implement Eni's plan to completely replace Russian gas by 2024-2025 and increase the availability of gas for the country, with potential benefits in terms of prices and competitiveness of Italy’s industrial and economic system”.

Enel starts building 170 MW of agrivoltaics in Italy
Enel Green Power says it has started working on the largest agrivoltaics plant in Italy. It will feature bifacial PV modules mounted on trackers. Olive trees will grow around the solar panel rows.

MARCH 24, 2023 BEATRIZ SANTOS

Enel Green Power has started building a 170 MW agrivoltaics plant in Viterbo, Italy. The Rome-based company claims it will be Italy’s largest agrivoltaics installation upon completion. The plant will feature bifacial PV modules mounted on trackers, both from undisclosed manufacturers.

Enel is using a “solar-first” approach to solar and agriculture, with electricity generation remaining the main goal. Its approach is designed to retrofit large-scale solar plants to allow crops to grow between the trackers and the panels. Agriculture is integrated into existing solar farms, rather than the other way around, as is often the case in agrivoltaics projects.

“The solar plant we are building in Tarquinia shows that an increase in the use of renewable energy can be harmoniously combined with agricultural activities,” said Salvatore Bernabei, CEO of Enel Green Power. “In fact, this plant will seamlessly integrate with the local area and will host crops, resulting in a positive impact on the environment, the economy, and the local area, as well as helping to reduce Italy’s energy dependency.”

Around 330 employees from local companies will be involved in the construction of the Tarquinia plant. It is scheduled for completion within 13 months.