Italy’s Ministry of the Environment and Energy Security has granted a positive Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) decree to the 1,110 megawatt Barium Bay floating offshore wind project, marking a key regulatory step forward for what developers say is the largest initiative of its kind in the Mediterranean.
The project, developed by renewable energy firm Galileo in collaboration with Italy-based Hope Group, is located in the Adriatic Sea, more than 45 kilometres off the coast between Bari and Barletta in the southern Apulia region.
The approval enables the project to participate in Italy’s upcoming auction under the FER 2 Decree, which provides Contracts for Difference for 3,800MW of offshore wind capacity across the country.
While Barium Bay is a floating wind farm, the project will include two offshore substations installed on fixed-bottom foundations, facilitated by favourable underwater terrain.
“This result represents the culmination of work carried out with care and attention to the territory, the sea, local communities, and institutions,” said Michele Scoppio, chief executive of Hope Group. “We have worked passionately to design a project capable of generating sustainable energy without impacting the environment and landscape.”
Francesco Dolzani, chairman of Barium Bay and business development director for Galileo in Italy, said the approval reflects years of collaboration between domestic and international partners. “We are now focused on reaching construction and commissioning milestones for the plant, which could generate thousands of skilled jobs and attract several billion euros in investment to the country,” he said.
The companies said Barium Bay is the largest offshore wind farm to receive a positive EIA in both Italy and the Mediterranean Sea.
