New 1.8 GW floating wind project in the Adriatic earmarks 800 MW for green hydrogen production

A Milan-based company has requested a concession for a site off the Italian coast in the central Adriatic Sea with plans to build a 1.8 GW floating offshore wind farm and use 800 MW of that capacity for a green hydrogen production plant at an industrial area in a nearby municipality.

The floating wind farm, dubbed Eolico Offshore Molise (Molise Offshore Wind), has been proposed by Maverick, a company established by the Green Bridge Group, according to Italian media.

The project would comprise 120 wind turbines with an output of 15 MW, which are planned to be installed 25 kilometres offshore at their nearest point. The site is located in the stretch of water off the coasts of the municipalities of Montenero di Bisaccia, Petacciato, Termoli and Campomarino.

Eolico Offshore Molise would be made up of two parts, one comprising 80 wind turbines and the other 40 wind turbines, with each part connected to its own offshore substation.

From the offshore substations, the power would flow towards the hydrogen production plant equipped with its own transformer and then to the connection point of the National Transmission Grid (NTG).

Given the possibility of connecting to the hydrogen production plant in the industrial area of Termoli and the network structures present in the area, Maverick is looking to connect the Molise offshore wind farm to the national grid with a connection point at the existing Sorgenia thermoelectric plant in the industrial area of Termoli which is connected to the electricity station of Terna di Larino.

The energy produced by the floating wind farm would thus be transmitted into the national grid after having primarily fueled the hydrogen production plant.

Maverick’s proposal is one of many filed in Italy that are looking to integrate green hydrogen production into their offshore wind projects, predominantly using floating wind technology.

As reported last month, a company named Nereus, established by an investment management subsidiary of the UK-based Nexta Capital Partners, has also submitted an application for a 40-year concession for a floating wind farm in the southern Adriatic Sea, part of whose 2.2 GW capacity would be used for green hydrogen production.

A similar project has also been proposed to be built offshore Bari by Hope Group (Gruppo Hope) which requested a 30-year concession to build a 1.2 GW floating wind farm whose electricity would be used for hydrogen production on land.

Among the numerous projects now looking for authorisation in Italy is also a 3.2 GW floating wind farm that could provide more than 1 GW for green hydrogen production when fully operational. The project, named HyMed, is being developed by Aquaterra Energy and Seawind Ocean Technology, which say this would be the world’s largest floating offshore wind and green hydrogen production project.