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The project in the Adriatic Sea between the cities of Bari and Barletta, in the Apulia region in southern Italy, is the largest floating windfarm to obtain an EIA decree to date.

The EIA decree follows a green light for the project given by the Ministry of Environment and the Ministry of Culture and will enable Barium Bay to participate in the upcoming FER 2 renewable energy auction, for which a Contract for Difference for up to 3.8 GW of offshore wind energy has been allocated.

The floating offshore wind project is located more than 45 km from the coast and will have two offshore substations with fixed-bottom foundations thanks to favourable bathymetry.

With an expected capacity of 1.11 GW, the project generate more than 3Bn kilowatt-hours per year, covering the energy needs of more than 1M Italian households.

Hope Group chief executive Michele Scoppio said, “We are thrilled to have obtained an EIA decree. We have worked passionately to design a project capable of generating sustainable energy without impacting the environment and landscape. This result represents the culmination of work carried out with care and attention to the territory, the sea, local communities and institutions.”

Galileo Barium Bat development director Francesco Dolzani said, “We are proud of this milestone, which is the result of the work of numerous national and international entities and professionals.

“We are now focused on reaching construction and commissioning milestones for the project, which could generate thousands of skilled jobs and attract several billion Euros in investment.”