Floating LiDAR deployed offshore Italy for two wind projects

A floating Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) buoy has been deployed in waters off the coast of Brindisi, Italy, to conduct surveys and preparations for the construction of the Kailia Energia and Lupiae Maris floating offshore wind farms.

Equipped with fully autonomous remote sensing devices, the buoy will remain inside the water for a minimum of twelve months to obtain detailed information on the characteristics of the sea area where the floating platforms of the two wind farms will be located.

The buoy will collect data on wind, weather conditions, and wave motion in the water.

Kailia Energia is a floating wind project jointly developed by Renantis and BlueFloat Energy off the coast between Brindisi and Lecce.

The wind farm will comprise 78 wind turbines and will have the capacity to produce 3.5 TWh of clean energy per year, equivalent to the consumption of approximately one million households.

The estimated investment for the 1.2 GW project is EUR 3.5 billion, creating employment opportunities for around 1,500 people during construction, said BlueFloat.

“The deployment of this buoy at sea represents the first activity that we are developing in collaboration with the joint venture promoting the Lupiae Maris wind farm. We are confident that creating synergies with other operators and pooling different experiences can only benefit the development of such an innovative sector“, said Ksenia Balanda, Managing Director for the Renantis-BlueFloat partnership in Italy.

Lupiae Maris s.r.l. is a special-purpose company established by Galileo, a pan-European platform for renewable energy development, and Gruppo Hope, a holding company active in designing renewable energy and green hydrogen plants.

The joint venture is planning to develop an offshore wind farm with a capacity of 525 MW, comprising 35 wind turbines each with a capacity of 15 MW, installed in the Otranto Channel between Brindisi and Lecce.

“The initiation of the campaign to measure the wind resource off the coast of the lower Adriatic confirms the progress of the projects and the commitment and determination of its partners to complete the preliminary phases leading to the start of plant construction“, said Michele Scoppio, sole director of Gruppo Hope.

In addition to Lupiae Maris, the companies are also planning to build the 1.1 GW Barium Bay floating offshore wind farm in Italy’s Adriatic Sea.