Italy builds first offshore wind farm

By Trend

Italy is about to complete construction of its first offshore wind farm, Trend reports citing Euronews.

Beleolico wind turbine park will be located just off the port in Taranto, about 100 metres from the coast. Taranto is a city in the south of Italy, known for its polluting steel plant, Ilva.

The facility is more likely to be classified as 'nearshore', but this is a "decisive moment for exploitation of wind energy in the Mediterranean Sea," according to energy firm Eni.

When fully operational, the plant will consist of 10 turbines with a total capacity of 30 MW - able to produce over 58,000 MWh, equal to the annual energy needs of 60,000 people. In environmental terms, this means that it will save around 730,000 tonnes of CO2 during its 25-year lifespan.