With a focus on wind and solar farms, AGNES Romagna boasts a portfolio of six projects, totalling over 4 GW of installed capacity. These projects, strategically located in the Adriatic Sea region, will not only harness the area’s renewable resources but also capitalise on its proximity to coastal communities.

One of the most notable projects in the company’s repertoire is the eponymous AGNES Romagna hub. Situated off the coast of Ravenna, Italy, this proposed energy hub will comprise two wind farms with a combined capacity of 600 MW, along with a floating solar farm capable of generating 100 MW of clean energy. The hub will be complemented by a range of supporting infrastructure, including a battery energy storage system (BESS) with a capacity of 50 MW and an electrolyser capable of producing more than 7,257 t/y of green hydrogen.

The multifaceted nature of AGNES Romagna makes it a trailblazer in the realm of renewable energy. The electricity generated by the wind and solar farms will serve three interconnected purposes:

• It can be seamlessly transmitted to Italy’s national grid, supplying clean energy to power homes, businesses, and industries. 
• The excess electricity can be stored in the onsite BESS, allowing for effective energy management and grid stability. 
• Through the process of electrolysis, the surplus electricity can be utilised to produce green hydrogen, a promising energy carrier that has the potential to help decarbonise various sectors, including transportation and certain industrial processes.

The benefits of AGNES Romagna
The AGNES Romagna hub presents a myriad of benefits, both locally and globally. At the local level, construction and operation of the hub can create employment opportunities in the industrial port of Ravenna, stimulating economic growth in the region. The establishment of wind and solar farms will foster the development of a skilled workforce, supporting job creation in areas such as engineering, construction and maintenance.

The project is counting on companies already present in the local port with decades of experience in the oil and gas sector that are now transitioning to the renewable energy industry.

Furthermore, the hub’s proximity to coastal communities ensures that the benefits of renewable energy can be shared with local people. Meanwhile, on a global scale, the AGNES Romagna hub contributes to the broader transition towards a carbon-neutral future. By generating significant amounts of clean energy, it can displace conventional fossil fuel energy sources, reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

The integration of a BESS and the production of green hydrogen further enhance the hub’s value, as they enable the storage and utilisation of renewable energy, even during periods of low wind or solar activity. Finally, the installation of a floating solar concept at scale will allow for further development of this promising technology. Conditions in the Adriatic Sea, such as low waves, shallow waters and good levels of solar energy, make this an ideal location for expanding floating solar.

The project has benefitted from the employees of companies already present in the local port with decades of experience in the oil and gas sector that are now transitioning to the renewable energy industry.  

The challenges
Developing the AGNES Romagna project certainly faces several challenges. First, Italy’s offshore wind industry is still immature and had just 30 MW installed in 2022. In this context, in which the industrial supply chain and regulatory framework are still under development, new standards, skills and best practices must be built from scratch.

Second, the low/moderate wind resource of the Adriatic Sea forces developers to seek innovation in wind turbine design and manufacturing, as the existing turbines of North European producers would achieve a low level of capacity. But this has produced benefits. Since 2017 with early concept studies, AGNES has been at the forefront of offshore renewable energy development and is one of the few Italian companies to anticipate the sky-rocketing growth of the market over the last three years.

The path to a sustainable future
AGNES Romagna’s vision extends beyond the Adriatic Sea region. As a pioneering force in the renewable energy sector, the company aims to replicate its success in other coastal and marine areas across the globe. By leveraging their expertise and experience, AGNES seeks to establish similar green energy hubs in diverse locations and accelerate the transition towards a sustainable and carbon-free future.

The views and opinions expressed in this article are strictly those of the author only and are not necessarily given or endorsed by or on behalf of the Energy Institute.