Slow progress for the Energia Wind 2020 project which involves the construction of an offshore wind farm off the Rimini coast. At the end of January the news arrived that the project had passed through the technical commission of the Ministry of the Environment. Good news, as it was read by the proposing company itself while waiting for the technical times for the definitive authorization. Since then, more than two and a half months have passed, beyond the technical times required by the regulations, the company points out, but the green light has not yet been given, while the folder remains in the offices of the Ministry of Culture.
By May 31, one year will have passed since the environmental impact assessment process began. A path that followed a long gestation that began years ago. Over time there has been a profound revision of the project, especially in the part relating to distances from the coast. Initially the first blades of the three arches perpendicular to the coastline were located approximately six nautical miles from the shoreline. Today the Energia Wind project involves the positioning of 51 blades (the first forecast considered 56). The first will be 12 miles from the coast, therefore at a distance of approximately 22.5 kilometers. The development of the wind turbines will be in an arc, bringing the furthest blades to 21 miles from the coast, approximately 39 kilometers. The power that the entire plant would develop is 330 Megawatts. During the sharing phases of the project, various changes were made to the interaction between the plant and the mainland where the pipeline with the power cables will arrive to bring the energy to the power plant identified on the mainland. Furthermore, the Energia Wind project envisages a power plant at sea which aims to become a research and visit center to bring people closer to sustainable wind energy. Discussions are open between the company and the coastal municipalities to ensure that the benefits that a system of this type can generate can be passed on to the local area. Furthermore, the movement of the blades from the coast coincides with a movement of the arches towards the south-east, increasing the distance between this plant and that of Agnes by up to 4.5 kilometres. Changes that silenced the Municipalities’ positions against the project, however leaving doubts and criticisms on the part of trade associations for the impact on the tourism market.
Andrea Oliva
