Aker Solutions has secured a contract to design underwater substations for the 2.8GW Med Wind floating wind project.
The front-end engineering and design contract was signed with the developer, Renexia, for the scheme offshore Trapani.
Renexia’s chief operating officer Paolo Sammartino stated: “Aker Solutions’ approach has all the parameters we were looking for: solidity, breakthrough technology and environmental impact reduction.
“We are delighted that the partner selected will join us on this important and challenging path, which will culminate in the construction of the first large-scale floating offshore wind farm in the Mediterranean Sea.”
The contract, in partnership with ABB, involves designing eight modules — two for each section of the Med Wind park.
The modules will be positioned on the seabed of the Strait of Sicily at depths ranging from 520m to 660m. They will serve as connection points for the floating turbines’ cables.
The generated energy from Med Wind will be transmitted to the Partanna and Partinico power stations onshore through a network of submarine and land-based cable ducts.
Aker Solutions’ consultancy branch has identified significant capital expenditure and operational expenditure savings compared to other options, leading to the development of a unique solution for the project.
Renexia chose Aker Solutions’ hardware for its small footprint and minimal impact on the marine ecosystem.
The durability of the module’s components, requiring no major maintenance for the 25-year concession period of Med Wind, was also a decisive factor.
The initiation of the design phase was facilitated by recent oceanographic campaigns that provided data on seabed conditions where Med Wind will be constructed.
Med Wind will produce 9 terawatt hours of energy annually, meeting 3% of Italy’s national demand.
Aker Solutions power solutions executive vice-president Jo Kjetil Krabbe stated: “This award confirms Aker Solutions’ leading position in subsea power technologies for the offshore wind industry.
“It builds on our extensive proven experience from oil and gas and our close co-operation with clients and our subsea power alliance partner ABB.
“From the early stages of the project, we’ve worked together with ABB to identify the most sustainable, robust and cost-effective solutions.”
In February 2024, Aker Solutions secured a FEED [front-end engineering design] contract for the Haewoori offshore wind 2 and 3 projects in South Korea.
