While the North Sea dominates Europe’s offshore wind investments, the Mediterranean Sea also presents significant offshore wind potential, an estimated 4,700 terawatt-hours per annum by 2050.

Black & Veatch supported development of offshore wind in the Mediterranean with pre-feasibility and programme management support for a proposed 50 megawatt (MW) floating offshore wind farm at an island location in the central Mediterranean Sea. Water depth constraints limit the development of fixed offshore wind in the Mediterranean, but there are large areas which combine favourable wind speeds and water depths suitable for floating wind.

The project, among the first floating wind schemes in the Mediterranean Sea, was a pilot encompassing floating turbines, battery energy storage systems (BESS) and a smart control system. Our client, an international utility, came to Black & Veatch for the creation of technical documentation to support an application for European Union funding to develop the project.

The scope of our work encompassed project and programme management, including the creation of the overall project schedule. Black & Veatch’s wind and marine energy and offshore engineering services teams also delivered the floating platform, environmental and commercial study reviews; and greenhouse gas emission avoidance calculations.