Towards the development of offshore wind farms in the Mediterranean Sea: a techno-economic analysis on an Italian case study

Bringing floating offshore wind turbines (FOWTs) to a real industrial maturity and reducing the levelized cost of floating wind energy are key to significantly increase the penetration of renewables in the energy mix of Mediterranean countries, especially if in combination with suitable energy storage systems, such as those involving green hydrogen production. The present study undertakes a techno-economic review of the technologies related to FOWTs and offshore hydrogen production, with the purpose of evaluating the potential of a floating wind farm integrated with a power-to-gas energy storage system in a specific installation site near the Sardinian shores. In comparison to the pioneering studies to date, a more detailed computational model is used, able to account for several critical factors like a better definition of metocean conditions, constraints on grid capacity and electricity demand, and a state-of-the-art model to define the farm layout. Proposed results are thought to provide interesting reference values for the levelized cost of energy and hydrogen by floating wind in the Mediterranean Sea.