Fugro has secured a survey contract from Renexia, part of Toto Holding, for the Med Wind floating wind farm in the Strait of Sicily, one of the biggest renewable energy projects planned for the Mediterranean Sea, with 190 floating turbines for an installed capacity of 2.8 GW.

Fugro will provide Renexia with detailed marine geophysical and environmental surveys, deploying equipment and specialised personnel to acquire comprehensive geo-data at the proposed wind farm location and along the two proposed export cable corridors.

The results of the analysis will be used to advise on geohazard risk mitigation and identify a safe route for the installation of the two export cables, and also feed into the final integrated environmental impact assessment application to Italy’s Ministry of Energy Transition.

Riccardo Toto, general director for Renexia, said: “Med Wind is one of the most innovative renewable energy projects in Europe and, as such, we need strong partners to support us on this journey. Fugro is the world’s leading geo-data specialist and will join our large team of international professionals who are working together to construct the energy infrastructure that’s key to achieving Italy’s sustainable development goals.”

Once operational, the 850 sq km wind farm located 60 km off the Italian coast should provide enough electricity to power 3.4 m homes a year, which translates to an annual CO2 saving of 2.7m tons.