Italy is about to enrich its energy landscape with a great novelty: the construction of a floating hybrid power plant that combines solar and wind energy. Calabria is ready to welcome it off the southern coast, in the Ionian Sea.
The total capacity of the project is estimated at 540 megawatts (MW), marking an important step towards the diversification of the country's energy sources.
Unity is strength
Il Corigliano project, which will come to life in the Gulf of Taranto, facing the Calabrian coast of Corigliano-Rossano, is the result of the collaboration of a trio led by Solar Duck, a Dutch-Norwegian company specializing in offshore solar solutions.
The Italian investment fund is giving the push Arrow Capital and the Italian developer New Developments. This international synergy testifies to the growing interest in innovative technologies in the field of renewable energies.
Innovation and resistance: a floating hybrid power plant
The fulcrum of the hybrid power plant, as I was saying, is the work of SolarDuck. The company (a spin-off of Damen Shipyards, a leading shipbuilder in the Netherlands) leverages its industry experience to create elevated floating solar platforms made from offshore-grade aluminium.
These structures, located 3 meters above the water, are designed to withstand the most adverse marine conditions, while reducing salt deposits on solar panels. I don't want to be either polemical or autarkic, but I have to say it: couldn't Fincantieri have thought of it? In terms of naval experience we are second to none: change my mind.
The hybrid power plant will combine 420 MW of offshore wind power and 120 MW of floating solar power, with a total of 28 floating wind turbines. Developer specifics for the turbines have not yet been revealed, but updates are awaited from SolarDuck.
Hybrid power plant: when will it be ready?
The activation date is scheduled for 2028, and will represent a turning point in the field of Italian renewable energy.
With projects like the one in Corigliano, Italy is positioned at the forefront of the sector, demonstrating that between the kilometers of coastline, the wind of the plains and hills and the solar exposure there is a lot of energy waiting for us.
