Malta kicks off offshore surveys as gov’t pinpoints two floating wind areas (Video)

InterConnect Malta (ICM), a authorities entity guilty for Malta’s energy interconnection projects with Italy and offshore renewable energy, has appointed Fugro Italia to investigate cross-take a look at two areas which the Maltese authorities plans to save out to delicate for floating wind fashion. Fugro has now started the investigate cross-take a look at campaign.

The 2 areas are located within Malta’s Strange Financial Zone (EEZ) and are a results of narrowing down from the beforehand identified six areas following consultations with world consultants, strategic environmental opinions, and detailed desktop stories.

Fugro’s investigate cross-take a look at scope in Malta entails mapping the bathymetry, finding and figuring out seabed and man-made aspects, and gathering high-quality sub-bottom seismic data.

Assist in 2022, earlier than initiating detailed work on the future offshore wind delicate, the Maltese authorities launched a preliminary market consultation, though-provoking companies to indicate economic activities that might perchance be implemented in an EEZ space past the territorial waters of Malta. Fifteen of the proposals submitted from the non-public sector centered the come of offshore wind farms on Malta’s continental shelf, in step with InterConnect Malta.

In the summer season of 2023, a bill facilitating the nation’s first offshore wind and floating solar delicate reached the Parliament and in September 2023 Malta’s Ministry for the Environment, Energy and Endeavor issued a draft National Policy for the Deployment of Offshore Renewable Energy. The draft coverage, which used to be save up for public consultation, outlined the initial six seemingly floating offshore wind fashion areas.

“The Maltese Authorities is committed to pursuing offshore renewable energy opportunities. In 2022, the Authorities issued a Preliminary Market Consultation for economic activities in Malta’s EEZ. In 2023, we then launched the ‘National Policy for the Deployment of Offshore Renewable Energy’ for public consultation. This investigate cross-take a look at signifies one other crucial step in making ready the island’s attractiveness to seemingly merchants for growing offshore floating wind systems”, acknowledged Miriam Dalli, Malta’s Energy Minister.

In accordance to estimates by the World Wind Energy Council (GWEC), Ocean Renewable Energy Motion Coalition (OREAC), and World Bank-funded ESMAP, Malta has 25 GW of technical offshore wind seemingly. All 25 GW are acknowledged to be finest suited for floating wind know-how.