Mingyang Enters Deal with Renexia, Italian Gov’t to Set Up Shop in Italy

August 8, 2024, by Adrijana Buljan

Renexia, Mingyang Smart Energy and Minister Adolfo Urso from the Ministry of Enterprises and Made in Italy (MIMIT) have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) that will see the Chinese OEM producing wind turbines in Italy and supplying 18.8 MW wind turbines for Renexia’s Med Wind floating wind farm.

The agreement includes a EUR 500 million investment to establish a new company that will manage the production of wind turbines in Italy. The company will initially focus on producing key components for the Med Wind project, the largest floating offshore wind farm in the Mediterranean, according to Renexia, which revealed plans to use Mingyang’s 18.8 MW turbines.

Renexia, the developer of Italy’s (and the Mediterranean’s) first offshore wind farm, which also features Mingyang’s technology, said it chose the Chinese wind turbine manufacturer as the company can ensure delivery by the first half of 2026. This is the time by which the developer plans to start installation work in the first phase of the four-phased 2.8 GW floating wind project.

Furthermore, using an 18.8 MW turbine model would reduce the number of wind turbines at Med Wind from the originally planned 190 to 148, which would further reduce both environmental impact and maintenance costs, Renexia emphasised.

The new company, established jointly by Mingyang and Renexia and expected to create 1,100 jobs, will identify a suitable area for the manufacturing site, in agreement with the government, within 90 days.

“I would like to thank Minister Urso for trusting us and believing in our project. The partnership signed today will enable us to create a value chain that also involves domestic companies, in floating offshore wind power industry, within our borders. In this way we will provide a valuable contribution to hit the goals of the National Integrated Energy and Climate Plan, and to support the Mattei Plan for Africa”, said Riccardo Toto, General Manager at Renexia, a Toto Group company operating in the renewables sector.

The 2.8 GW Med Wind floating wind farm project is proposed to be built off the coast of Trapani, 60 kilometres off the Italian coast, at a site covering 850 square kilometres. With a full installed capacity of 2.8 GW, the floating wind farm will be able to generate about 9 TWh of electricity per year, equal to the energy needs of 3.4 million households. The energy produced by Med Wind will be transmitted and distributed directly to Sicily.

Announcing the signing of the agreement, Renexia also said it presented the project’s Environmental Impact Study today (8 August), following a series of environmental and feasibility studies.

As for Mingyang, which entered the European offshore wind market with the Taranto (Beleolico) offshore wind farm, the company has been actively expanding its footprint in Europe since.

Last month, the Chinese OEM was named the preferred supplier for a 296 MW offshore wind project in Germany, for which the developer, German clean energy asset manager Luxcara, plans to use 18.5 MW turbines.

Another German offshore wind developer, and one of the biggest in the world, RWE, could also be eyeing Mingyang’s technology.

Last month, RWE’s Offshore Wind CEO, Sven Utermöhlen, shared on social media that RWE visited Mingyang’s facilities in China, including the factories, research centre, and the OceanX floating prototype that the OEM will soon install offshore.