Environment: Platform to promote energy production from the sea in the Mediterranean launched

A platform to promote the diffusion of energy from the sea in the Mediterranean countries: this is one of the main results achieved by the European Blue DEAL project, co-funded with 2.8 million euro by the European Regional Development Fund and the Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance and coordinated by the University of Siena, in which 12 partners are participating[1] including ENEA, from 6 countries (Italy, Albania, Cyprus, Croatia, Greece and Spain).

This platform represents a virtual space where demand and supply of blue energy can meet and make use of innovative tools such as the blue energy technology catalogue divided into three main groups (on-shore, near-shore and off-shore), 3D visualisation software for verifying the visual impact of potential plants, from the coast, from the sea and from drone, and finally, a methodology that defines the 'steps' to be followed to develop 'tailor-made' energy plans from the sea that also include the environmental impact with the quantification of the CO₂ avoided.

"According to the Blue DEAL methodology, we first collect all physical, environmental and infrastructural information of the target region, including maps of the marine energy potential. In practice, we check both the existence of protected marine areas and relevant natural habitats as well as the location of infrastructure and usual maritime routes. The combination of these data, with the operational characteristics of sea energy technologies, allows us to precisely identify the areas of a country that are most suitable for the deployment of off-shore plants, in compliance with environmental protection standards,' explains Simone Bastianoni, of the University of Siena and project coordinator.

The Mediterranean Sea has good potential for wave and tidal energy, widespread availability for the use of thermal and saline gradients exploiting differences in salt concentration between freshwater and seawater but, above all, it has high potential for off-shore wind energy, mostly floating due to the high depth of the seabed. It is no coincidence that the EU Commission's strategy for off-shore renewable energy foresees an increase of marine wind power in Europe from the current 12 GW to 60 GW by 2030 and up to 300 GW (and at least 40 GW of ocean energy) by 2050.

"In the coming years, offshore wind power could be the largest source of electricity in Europe," emphasises Maria Vittoria Struglia, researcher at the Climate Modelling and Impacts Laboratory and project manager for ENEA. "For our project, for example, we have calculated that in Cyprus it would be possible to install 300 MW of off-shore wind power, which would allow a clean energy production of 480 GW/h per year and a drastic reduction in emissions with 49 gr of CO₂ equivalent per kW/h from off-shore wind power compared to 400 gr of CO₂ equivalent per kW/h from the Italian energy mix. Or in Crete, particularly in the north-eastern region, we have verified that it would be possible to install 300 MW floating offshore wind farms that could provide the island with 88 per cent of the electricity it needs by 2030, with a consequent closure of oil-fired plants,' Struglia continues.

On the whole, the project has allowed - thanks to initiatives such as workshops, open days, business forums and an international competition dedicated to schools - to create real regional alliances, such as the one with the Lazio Region, where an off-shore wind plan for Civitavecchia is planned, made up of researchers, local authorities and communities, environmental organisations and operators in the tourism, fishing and maritime sectors. In short, all stakeholders who, according to the 'Blue DEAL' approach, must be active participants in the decision-making process for the dissemination and integration of blue energy in national and local energy and development plans.

"In the Mediterranean, sea-related activities generate an annual economic value of more than €370 billion, around 20% of the annual global GDP. And in this context, our task will be to broaden alliances for energy from the sea at transnational level and to address outstanding challenges such as the need for new regulatory tools for better maritime spatial planning, integrated coastal zone management and national, regional and local energy plans integrating energy from the sea and, finally, greater public awareness. From a survey[2] conducted by the University of Siena among 2,000 people in the project countries, 57% still do not know the meaning of blue energy," concludes ENEA's Maria Vittoria Struglia.