February 4, 2025 marked a crucial milestone for the future of renewable energy in Italy. At the Sala delle Colonne of Luiss Guido Carli University in Rome, the event “Med Wind: environmental sustainability, local communities and participatory governance” was held, organized by Fondazione UniVerde, Stazione Zoologica “Anton Dohrn” in Naples and Renexia, with the partnership of Seas Geosciences. The meeting presented the results of the Environmental Impact Study (EIS) of the Med Wind project, the first floating offshore wind farm in the Mediterranean, located more than 80 km off the Sicilian coast. An exemplary model of how innovation, sustainability and inclusion can converge to accelerate the energy transition.

A project for Italy and the Mediterranean

Med Wind is not just a technological challenge, but a strategic vision for Italy’s energy autonomy. With 156 floating turbines and a total capacity of 2.8 GW, the offshore wind farm will produce about 9 TWh of clean energy per year, enough to meet the needs of 3.4 million households and reduce CO₂ emissions by 2.7 million tons per year. The project, developed by Renexia, represents an investment of 9.3 billion euros, with significant employment spin-offs: 1,300 direct and more than 2,000 induced jobs, as well as the creation of an Italian industrial supply chain dedicated to offshore wind, which is absent today.

The choice of “floating” technology ensures minimal impact on the marine ecosystem: the turbines, positioned on floating structures anchored to the seabed, avoid drilling and preserve the seabed. The distance from the coast (at least 80 km) eliminates landscape impacts, while bathymetric surveys and 3D maps made it possible to place the turbines in areas that are not critical for biodiversity, far from the migratory routes of cetaceans and birds.

Science and collaboration: the foundations of success

The Environmental Impact Study (EIS), overseen by RINA, involved a multidisciplinary team led by the Zoological Station “Anton Dohrn.” The 18-month research campaigns in the Strait of Sicily revealed an extraordinary marine ecosystem, with forests of corals and sponges, some of which may be species never before catalogued. The use of underwater robotic vehicles and multibeam echosounders allowed the seafloor to be mapped with pinpoint accuracy, while also identifying damage caused by years of illegal fishing.

Silvio Greco, Vice President of the Zoological Station, emphasized, “The special oceanographic conditions of the area favor unique biodiversity. The challenge is to reconcile energy production and protection of this heritage. The challenge is to reconcile energy production and protection of this heritage.”. A commitment shared by Paolo Casciotti of Seas Geosciences, who explained how the company’s cutting-edge technologies ensure geotechnical investigations in deep water (over 900 meters) with minimal environmental disturbance.

Dialogue with the territory and social sustainability

Renexia has set Med Wind on an inclusive model, involving institutions, local communities and productive sectors from the earliest stages. The protagonist of this approach is the dialogue with the fishing industry: through a dedicated technical table, compensatory agreements and shared projects have been defined, such as the electrification of ports and a program to collect plastic at sea, developed with CONAI. “We have provided for a 180-million-euro foundation to support initiatives that benefit the territory,” said Riccardo Toto, Renexia’s managing director.

Environment Minister Gilberto Pichetto Fratin also acknowledged the strategic value of the project: “Med Wind can contribute 2-3% of the national energy demand. We must accompany these technologies, ensuring biodiversity protection and sustainable development.”. A vision shared by Alfonso Pecoraro Scanio (UniVerde Foundation), who highlighted how “offshore renewables, if well designed, can become allies of marine conservation”.

Technological innovation and global perspectives

The event also highlighted Renexia’s international ambitions. The collaboration with Mingyang Smart Energy for the production of wind turbines in Italy (70 percent Italian-owned, 30 percent Chinese) aims to create an exportable technology hub, including the U.S. market, where Renexia is already active with a project in Maryland through its subsidiary US Wind. The goal is to obtain European certification for the turbines, ensuring high standards of efficiency and sustainability.

Roberto Danovaro, chairman of the Scientific Committee of Fondazione UniVerde, stressed, “Floating wind is a breakthrough for energy security, provided it is integrated with habitat protection policies”. A concept reiterated by Giuseppe Onufrio (Greenpeace Italy), who called Med Wind “an opportunity to demonstrate how innovation and environment can coexist”.

Toward the future: a systemic breakthrough

Med Wind is not just u infrastructure, but a model of “just energy transition”. End-of-life planning is proof of this: after 25 years, the facilities will be dismantled and recycled, returning the sea to the community. Meanwhile, the project stimulates the emergence of specialized expertise and academic collaborations, such as those with the Universities of Messina, Palermo and Genoa.

This path shows that sustainability requires listening, science and vision. Today, Med Wind is no longer a dream, but a building site of the future. A future in which Italy can become a leader in offshore wind, transforming Mediterranean wind into clean energy, progress and hope for new generations.