Copenhagen Offshore Partners announced an investment of 750 million of euro for the construction of a wind farm 35 km off the coast of Sicily
The transition from fossil fuels to renewable sources is a long but steady process. Research and technological innovation has led to improvements in the efficiency of many existing technologies. Among the various renewable sources, one of the most exploited today is wind power. Development has led to ever biggest or lighter turbines, such as those made of wood. One evolution is the floating turbines that allow installation off the coast.
Copenhagen Offshore Partners (COP) is one of the world’s leading companies that has developed its own turbine technology for the sea. The product, called TetraSpar, has already been tested in Denmark with excellent results. A further step is the project presented by COP with the support of the Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners Fund. The investment is 741 million euros and involves the creation of a wind farm off Marsala, a well-known Sicilian town.
Design of a turbine with TetraSpra technology. Credits: twitter.
The park will be named 7Seas Med and will be the first of its kind in the Mediterranean. The company plans to install 25 blades of 10 MW each 35 km away from the coast. The distance will be enough to make the turbines invisible from the coast. The sea bed of the chosen site is about 300 metres, ideal for the operation of TetraSpar technology. The construction site should start in 2023, except for bureaucratic delays. The park will be a further step towards the target set by the European Union for 2030, i.e. 32% of energy obtained from renewable sources.