Offshore wind power: Italia has the expertise to develop the sector
The president of the wind energy association: decision-making processes must be speeded up and investment certainty must be guaranteed
“Italia possesses the industrial, technological and design expertise that enables it to play a leading role in the development of offshore wind power. To capitalise on this opportunity, however, we need to speed up decision-making, provide certainty for investors and establish a regulatory framework that is stable, sustainable in the long term and consistent with the sector’s objectives.”
This was stated by Anev President Simone Togni at the fourth Offshore Wind Summit organised by Anev, the National Wind Energy Association, which focused on the prospects for the development of this technology in Italy. “Only in this way,” explained Togni, “will it be possible to make a significant contribution to the decarbonisation of the electricity system, strengthen national energy security and generate economic, employment and industrial benefits for the country. Today’s summit has demonstrated just how vital it is to continue the dialogue between institutions and stakeholders in order to turn these prospects into concrete results.”
The initiative, Anev explained, provided an important opportunity for dialogue between institutions, the academic world, businesses, industry stakeholders and environmental organisations, with the aim of fostering constructive dialogue on the key challenges facing the development of offshore wind power in Italia, particularly floating technology, which is currently on hold pending the FER 2 auctions for incentives for new renewable energy sources.
As Alessandro Noce, Director-General for Energy Markets and Infrastructure at the Ministry of the Environment, also explained, he spoke of ‘a process of reviewing Ministerial Decree Fer 2, with a view to assessing its suitability in light of market developments, the needs expressed by operators and recent developments in the European regulatory framework. The aim is to identify solutions capable of combining the economic viability of investments with the protection of the public interest and the efficient use of resources allocated to support renewable energy sources, whilst facilitating the achievement of national energy and decarbonisation targets. A dedicated working group has been set up, and contributions and comments from stakeholders have been gathered and subsequently examined during a technical meeting. The comments received are currently being analysed by the Ministry and will form the basis for subsequent assessments regarding a possible update to the support mechanism, with a view to ensuring an effective and stable regulatory framework that is consistent with the country’s energy, environmental and industrial objectives.”
As emerged from the conference, offshore wind power can also act as a catalyst for industry, with a supply chain yet to be established and tangible impacts on employment and businesses.
