Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners' CI IV fund and Italy's GreenIT have signed agreements to build two floating offshore wind farms in Sicily and Sardinia.
The wind farms are to be located more than 35 km from the coast and will have a total capacity of approximately 750MW.
GreenIT is an Italian renewable energy developer, owned by 51% Plenitude (Eni) and 49% by CDP Equity.
The floating wind project in Sicily, off the coast of Marsala, will consist of 21 turbines with a power of around 12MW each for a total capacity of around 250MW. The second wind farm to be developed in the sea area facing the south-western coast of Sardinia will consist of 42 wind turbines with a power of around 12MW each for a total capacity of more than 500MW.
The two projects will be developed in Sicily with the support of Lilybeo Wind Power S.r.l., and in Sardinia with the support of Nice Technology and 7 Seas Win.
The two wind farms will produce more than 2,000 GWh/year, which is equivalent to the average annual energy consumption of approximately 750,000 households in the involved areas representing an increase of around 50% more than the average output of an onshore wind farm in Italy, at the same average installed capacity.
Operations are scheduled to start in 2026 in Sicily and 2028 in Sardinia at the end of the authorization process and following the construction.
According to the companies involved, the projects will prevent around 1 million tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions per year, thus contributing to the decarbonization objectives of the 2030 National Integrated Energy and Climate Plan and to the development of the floating offshore wind sector in Italy.