Adriatic green energy hub proposed

Seawork 10th - 12th June 2025	Speed@Seawork 9th June 2025	Get Set for Workboat 2050

The 26th edition of Europe’s largest commercial marine and workboat exhibition provides businesses the opportunity to showcase their services, equipment, vessels and supplies to an international audience.	Speed@Seawork on 9th June in Cowes offers a sector specific event that showcases fast vessels operating at high speed for security interventions and Search & Rescue.	The Commercial Marine Network, in partnership with Seawork and Maritime Journal, introduce Series 3 of ‘Get set for Workboat 2050’. An online conference series of expert panels navigating the waters of decarbonisation compliance and looking at practical applications across the workboat industry.
Visit the Seawork Website	Speed@Seawork on the Seawork Website	View on Commercial Marine Network

An application for a permit to develop what is termed ‘a clean energy hub’ in the Adriatic Sea off the port of Ravenna has been submitted writes Dag Pike.

This AGNES project will comprise two offshore wind farms

The consortium comprises offshore contractor Saipem, AGNES and Qint’x, covering what is thought to be the first combination of wind and solar power plus hydrogen production.

The partners in this project first signed their Memorandum of Understanding back in August last year and a grid connection with a capacity of 570mW has already been approved by transmission system operator Terna. The project partners expect to start a measurement campaign to assess the wind resources at the two proposed wind farm sites and to begin front end engineering work later this year. Next year the partners will start work on an environmental impact assessment and if they secure authorisation for the project, the final investment decision and the start of work will take place in 2023.

This AGNES project will comprise two offshore wind farms which will have a total of 65 turbines established on fixed foundations. These will be established at four and six miles offshore and together they will produce up to 520mW of power. The power from these turbines will be supplemented with a 100mW floating solar panel plant that will use technology that has been developed by Norwegian company Moss Maritime which is part of the Saipem Group. These solar panels are mounted on a flexible frame that is supported on floats with the panels erected in the form of twin slopes in a style that will reduce bird fouling and other contamination that will reduce maintenance.

In addition to transmitting electricity to shore, some of the electricity generated by the turbines and floating solar panels will be used to produce hydrogen from seawater using electrolysis. It is anticipated that the electrolysers will be installed on decommissioned offshore oil and gas platforms in the area and it is estimated that the hydrogen production will amount to 4000 tonnes per year. There will also be 100MWh of energy storage capacity in the form of lithium batteries. The project is expected to benefit the Port of Ravenna where a servicing base and construction sites will be established.