Renantis and BlueFloat Energy advance offshore wind developments in Puglia: Environmental Impact Assessment for Kailia Energia the second offshore wind project in the region, presented
Puglia confirms its strategic importance for the development of an offshore wind industry
Renantis and BlueFloat Energy advance the delivery of floating offshore wind in Italy. The Environmental Impact Assessment procedure for Kailia Energia the second offshore wind project that the partnership between Renantis and BlueFloat Energy intends to build off the coasts of Puglia has been initiated, confirming the region´s strategic relevance for the development of the offshore wind sector. Kailia Offshore Wind Project will be located off the coastline between Brindisi and San Cataldo. Just a couple of months ago, Odra Energia, a neighbouring project developed by the partnership, submitted its Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Report to the Ministry.
After over a year of studies and research, Kailia Energia has submitted the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) to the Ministry of Environment and Energy Security (MASE) and the Ministry of Culture (MiC). This submission consists of the documents outlining the predicted impacts of the proposed project and will be made publicly available in the coming weeks on the MASE Environmental Assessment online portal for consultation by all interested parties.
The EIA has been undertaken by the engineering and highly experience environmental services company WSP, with a contribution from the team of researchers from renowned Italian research institutions and universities under the supervision of the scientific coordinator Prof. Silvestro Greco, a prominent marine biologist.
Following further engineering studies and technological innovations likely to emerge in the rapidly-evolving offshore wind sector the project will seek to further mitigate and reduce the predicted impacts where possible.
Kailia Offshore Wind Project involves the installation of up to 78 floating wind turbines with a maximum expected installed capacity of 1,170 megawatts (MW) and an expected production of around 3.4 billion kWh/year, equivalent to the consumption of over 1 million Italian households, avoiding the emission of more than 2 million tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere each year. The total investment for the construction and development of Kailia Energia is estimated at almost 4 billion euros.
In addition to contributing to the security of the national energy supply and achieving decarbonization objectives, the project is expected to also have positive effects on the local economy, both during construction and operation phases, with significant development opportunities in other related sectors. In terms of employment, it is estimated that there will be an average of 1,500 direct jobs during the production, assembly, and construction phases of the wind farm, peaking at 4,000 during periods of maximum activity, and more than 150 permanent jobs estimated for the entire operations phase of the project, which is currently set at thirty years. The Renantis – BlueFloat Energy partnership will continue to work on further opportunities for local economic development, engaging with local, stakeholders, representatives of local industries, Port Authorities, as well as fishing associations.
