In early July 2024, the Ministry of the Environment approved the construction, in Puglia, of a wind platform off the coast. The platform will be built offshore between Vieste and Monopoli. Wind energy is the form of renewable energy that has seen the greatest development dynamics in recent years. What explains the success of wind energy?
Wind energy: theoff the coast Italian Made in the South and other Italian examples
Barium Bay This is the new wind platform, developed far from the continent (the meaning of the term off the coast, from English “outside the shore”). The Ministry of the Environment recently authorized its implementation, following the meeting of the technical commission for the implementation of projects on PNRR funds. This platform produces 1100 Gigawatts of energy: it can count on 74 wind turbines and – assure the designers – It will be able to supply more than three billion kilowatt hours per year.
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The platform Barium Bay was born from the collaboration between the Bari group Hopespecializing in renewable energy projects and Galileoa pan-European platform active in a similar field. The Bari plant is not the only one active in Italy for the production of wind energy. In Piedmont There are up to 20 municipalities that host wind farms. The site on the San Bernardo hill, the largest, produces 12.5 megawatts of energy. In Calabriawind energy production sites are located in Cutro and in the province of Catanzaro. Wind energy is also produced in Abruzzo, Emilia-Romagna and Campania.
The future of energy is on the rise
At European level, Italy is the fifth country by capacity of active wind farms. There are more than 7,100 systems installed across the country. Usually, wind power plants are divided into two macro categories. They can be down (installed, that is, on land) or off the coast (at sea, on anchored platforms). One sixth of Italy's energy needs are covered by wind energy: in 2020, the power of wind turbines installed in the country exceeded 11 gigawatts and is preparing to increase this amount. Thanks to wind energy, Italy will be able to produce clean energy to meet the European targets set for 2030.
Most wind farms are concentrated in South: Basilicata is the region where the wind power is 1.7 kilowatts installed, per inhabitant. The forecasts for the development of wind energy in Italy are positive. Some data prove this. According to an analysis by'IEA Wind (International Energy Agency – Wind Sector) in 2030, the capacity of wind energy, in energy terms, is expected to reach 40 Terawatt hours. The purely southern location of large power plants enables cost savings for the end user: many “special economic zones” are concentrated in the south of Italy, with tax breaks for those who carry out productive activities there. Furthermore, wind is the natural resource par excellence, in continuous production. Wind energy will therefore be the new energy frontier of our country.
