Norwegian multinational Aker Solutions has signed a contract with Italian company Renexia to design the offshore substations for the 2,800 MW Med Wind floating wind project, the largest in the Mediterranean Sea, which will be installed off the coast of Trapani in Sicily, Italy. 

The agreement includes the design of eight modules, two for each section of the Med Wind park, to be laid on the seabed of the Strait of Sicily, at a depth of between 520 and 660 metres, into which the cables of the plant's floating turbines will be conveyed. The energy produced by the rotation of the blades will then arrive on land, at the Partanna and Partinico power stations, via a system of submarine and land-based cable ducts. 

The construction of Med Wind is expected to take six years. Once fully operational, the project will be capable of producing around 9 TWh of clean energy per year, meeting the energy needs of 3.4 million households and covering 3% of the national energy demand, an important step in Italy’s path towards energy transition. 

According to information from Aker Solutions, the company was chosen for this project due to the compact size of its modules, which will minimize the impact on the marine ecosystem. Another key factor in the selection was that the module components require minimal maintenance during the 25-year concession of Med Wind. 

“Aker Solutions' approach meets all the criteria we were looking for: robustness, cutting-edge technology, and reduced environmental impact. We are delighted that the selected partner is joining us on this important and challenging journey, which will culminate in the construction of the first large-scale floating offshore wind farm in the Mediterranean Sea,” said Paolo Sammartino, Chief Operating Officer of Renexia. 

This marks the first time that Aker Solutions, working in partnership with its ally ABB, is participating in an offshore wind project in the Mediterranean Sea.