Renewable energies
Saipem and Divento sign collaboration agreement for floating wind in Italy
Saipem and Divento, a partnership between Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners (CIP, through the “flagship” fund Copenhagen Infrastructure V), GreenIT, a joint venture between Plenitude (a Company controlled by Eni) and CDP Equity (CDP Group), 7 Seas Wind Power and NiceTechnology, have signed a collaboration agreement involving the application of STAR 1, Saipem's proprietary technology for floating wind, in favour of the 7 Seas Med projects in Sicily and Ichnusa Wind Power in Sardinia, with the aim of supporting their participation to the firsts auctions provided for the Fer2 Decree (“aste Fer2”). [1]
Saipem was selected after a competitive technical-economic feasibility procedure.
STAR 1 is a technology developed for the making of semi-submersible floating wind foundations, born from Saipem’s decades of experience in the design, construction and installation of subsea infrastructures, able to offer a light industrial solution, easy to build, assemble and maintain.
The 7 Seas Med floating wind project, located in the Strait of Sicily over 35 km from the coast, with a capacity of 252 MW and a yearly production of about 800 GWh, is the first of its kind in Italy to receive the environmental compatibility decree from the Ministry of Environment and Energy Security. [2]
Ichnusa Wind Power is a project that will be developed by the namesake company about 40 km from the south-western coast of Sardinia, with a capacity of 504 MW and a yearly production of about 1.6 TWh of renewable energy.
Both initiatives are in the development phase and awaiting the completion of the definition of the regulatory framework for the first auctions for Italian innovative renewables technologies, among which floating offshore wind.
The collaboration agreement between Saipem and Divento brings together two strong entities, their respective skills and long-term strategic approach, aimed at the implementation of all project phases. It represents a successful example of excellence in Italian engineering and cooperation between Italian and Northern European investors, aimed at creating value for offshore floating wind sector. A technology which is potentially scalable on large volumes in Italy, representing at the same time a challenge and a unique opportunity for the domestic energy market and for the national production chain.
"This agreement further strengthens the development of our 7 Seas Med and Ichnusa projects, which are at the forefront of floating offshore wind in Italy. Together with Saipem, Divento could act as a pioneer, facilitating the dissemination of local expertise and the construction of logistics infrastructures, fostering the growth of this new and important industrial sector in our Country", underlines Paolo Bellucci, CEO of GreenIT.
"We are pleased to announce this collaboration with Saipem for our floating offshore wind projects in Italy. Saipem is a global company with great experience in the implementation of subsea EPCI projects, a strategic requirement to accelerate our projects. Floating offshore wind can play an important role both for the Italian industry and for the production of safe and renewable energy. We therefore await clarifications on the CfD system for floating offshore wind, which is essential to allow this potential to materialize", adds Kunal Patel, Partner of CIP.
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Saipem is a global leader in the engineering and construction of major projects for the energy and infrastructure sectors, both offshore and onshore. Saipem is “One Company” organized into business lines: Asset Based Services, Drilling, Energy Carriers, Offshore Wind, Sustainable Infrastructures, Robotics & Industrialized Solutions. The company has 6 fabrication yards and an offshore fleet of 17 owned construction vessels and 15 drilling rigs, of which 9 owned. Always oriented towards technological innovation, the company’s purpose is “Engineering for a sustainable future”. As such Saipem is committed to supporting its clients on the energy transition pathway towards Net Zero, with increasingly digital means, technologies and processes geared for environmental sustainability. Listed on the Milan Stock Exchange, it is present in more than 50 countries around the world and employs about 30,000 people of over 120 nationalities.
Divento is a partnership born in early 2022 between GreenIT (the Italian joint venture for renewable energy between Plenitude and CDP Equity), Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners (CIP, through the flagship fund Copenhagen Infrastructure V) and the co-founders of the projects, 7 Seas Wind Power and NiceTechnology. Divento has five floating offshore wind projects under development in Italy. Divento has the ambition to pioneer floating offshore wind in the Mediterranean and become, thanks to its financial and industrial solidity, a key player in the Italian market.
[1] The Decree of 19 June 2024 defines the discipline for the "Incentive for innovative renewable energy plants or those with high generation costs that present characteristics of innovation and reduced impact on the environment and the territory". https://www.mase.gov.it/node/18946
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