Aker Solutions to manage engineering for Med Wind subsea modules offshore Italy

Renexia subsidiary Renext Solutions has awarded Aker Solutions a FEED contract for the Med Wind floating wind farm development offshore Trapani, Sicily.

Under a cooperation with alliance partner ABB, Aker Solutions will design eight modules, with two for each section of the Med Wind area. They will be installed on the seabed in the Strait of Sicily at a depth of between 520 m and 660 m, connecting to the cables of the floating turbines.

The produced electricity will be sent to the onshore Partanna and Partinico power stations via a network of submarine and land-based cable ducts.

This is Aker Solutions’ first involvement in an offshore wind project in the Mediterranean Sea. Earlier studies by its consultancy branch had identified potential capex and opex savings for this solution compared to alternative options.

Renexia also favored the small footprint of the module concept, which should minimize impact on local marine life, and the module's components, which are said not to require any major maintenance during the 25 years of the Med Wind concession.

The design phase follows months of oceanographic campaigns over the seabed location. Samples and analyses, as well as studies of sea currents, helped identify the optimum areas for the wind farm.

Med Wind will be developed in stages and should eventually generate about 9 TWh/year of power.