BayWa r.e. Has Plans for Over 9 GW of Floating Offshore Wind in Italy

Business & Finance

February 21, 2024, by Adnan Memija

BayWa r.e. AG has a development portfolio of over 9 GW in floating wind power projects in Italy, underlining its ambition to become an established player in the offshore wind industry, said the company.

Integrated into a global offshore wind team, a dedicated offshore project development team has been set up in Rome which is working on 14 floating wind schemes at the moment, said the company.

The floating wind projects, which are in various stages of development, include two off the coast of the Lazio region, two off Puglia, four off Sardinia, and six off Sicily’s coast.

The company estimates that three to five of these floating projects in Italy will be commissioned by 2030, corresponding to a total capacity of approximately 2 GW. BayWa r.e. said that 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 EUR 6 billion will be required for the development and construction of the floating offshore wind projects, according to the company.

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“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,” said Felipe Cornago, Managing Director Offshore Wind at BayWa r.e..

Italy so far has one operational offshore wind farm, the Beleolico project off Taranto, in the Mediterranean Sea, which was commissioned in April 2022.

When it comes to BayWa r.e., the company is also pursuing offshore wind opportunities in other sectors such as the UK, Germany, France, Australia, and Portugal.

Through Crown Estate Scotland’s ScotWind leasing agreement, the company has, as part of a consortium, secured the rights to develop the 960 MW Buchan offshore wind farm. In addition, BayWa r.e. has pre-qualified for the two calls for tenders, AO5 and AO6 in France, to develop 250 MW South of Brittany and up to 500 MW in the Mediterranean Sea. The AO5 results are expected for the first quarter of 2024.