Italy and France want to invest massively in the expansion of wind power. In France, the output of offshore systems is expected to more than double by 2035. So far, they have relied on nuclear power – wind energy is controversial.
French President Emmanuel Macron has announced a massive expansion of offshore wind turbines. The government will put out to tender the installation of plants with a production capacity of ten gigawatts in 2025, Macron said at a maritime industry meeting in Nantes, western France.
The French systems already available and planned have reached eight gigawatts so far, so this capacity is expected to more than double by 2035. By 2050, a whole series of additional systems with a total capacity of 45 gigawatts will be added, as Macron explained.
Macron: settle the dispute “once and for all”.
During the construction phase, “thousands of jobs” would be created and revenue of 2.5 billion euros would be generated between 2023 and 2035, said the president. Macron positively highlighted the sometimes heated debate in France about wind energy. “We’re putting all our cards on the table now.” In this way, the dispute can be resolved “once and for all in an honest manner”. This does not have to be fought out again during the five to ten years of the project.
To date, France has relied more heavily on nuclear power to generate electricity than practically any other country in the world. If the plans for wind energy are implemented, it would then be the second most important source of electrical energy.
Platforms in Italy’s “state-owned maritime areas”
Italy – which abandoned nuclear power in 1990 – also wants to invest heavily in the expansion of wind power. “We want to accelerate the development of renewable energy to achieve the 2030 targets,” said Environment Minister Gilberto Pichetto. A total of 27.4 billion euros should flow into the expansion of renewable energies, the reduction of bureaucracy, aid for energy-intensive companies and new import terminals for liquefied natural gas (LNG), as can be seen from a regulation that has now been passed.
The text of the regulation designates, among other things, “state-owned maritime areas” in two southern Italian ports for the “production, assembly and commissioning of floating platforms” for wind turbines.