Med Wind Offshore Wind Park Project

The project “Med Wind Scirocco” involves the installation of offshore turbines in the Strait of Sicily. In particular, the project will consist of a maximum number of 50 turbines, with unit power up to 18.8 MW, with a Nominal Power Input to the RTN of 698.25 MW.

The project examined is composed as follows:

• Offshore Section consisting of:
• 90 wind turbines on floating foundations,
• eight underwater electrical substations,
• interconnection cables between the wind turbines and their respective electrical substations,
• underwater energy transport cable ducts:
• North cable ducts of approximately 166-180 km long which reach the landing site located in the Municipality of Alcamo (TP) from the wind farm,
• Southern cable ducts approximately 94-129 km long which reach the landing site located in the Municipality of Petrosino (TP) from the wind farm;
• two underwater reflow stations along the Nord cable ducts;
• Onshore section consisting of land-based cable ducts (continuing those at sea) and related reflowing and electrical user stations for connection to RTN:
• junction points between submarine and land cables and sectioning and compensation stations at landing sites on the Sicilian coast,
• North cable ducts approximately 12 km long, entirely underground, which pass through the municipalities of Alcamo (TP), Balestrate, Partinico and the Electric User Station for connection to the RTN, built in the municipality of Partinico (PA),
• Southern cable ducts approximately 46 km long, entirely underground, which pass through the municipalities of Petrosino, Mazara del Vallo, Campobello di Mazara, Castelvetrano, Partanna and the electric utility station for connection to the RTN, built in the Municipality of Castelvetrano (TP).

As part of the acoustic study, the VDP carried out an analysis of the composite during the construction phase of the project, in order to verify its compatibility with regulatory limits.

The reported analysis aimed to:

• Identify the noise level ante operam by carrying out in situ phono metric surveys;
• predict the acoustic impact during construction by considering different simulation scenarios;
• evaluate compliance with acoustic limits, identifying any design choices necessary to comply with current limits.

Specificity of the study

In particular, the following scenarios were considered:

• Scenario 1: Foundation-aerogenerator assembly and integration site;
• Scenario 2: Construction site construction of coastal landing in trenchless mode;
• Scenario 3: Construction site for the construction of the electric sectioning and compensation station;
• Scenario 4: Construction site for the construction of a user electrical station;
• Scenario 5: Typological road construction site along the line laying underground power line.

For the identified scenarios, with the support of the CadnaA calculation forecasting model, the noise levels induced by the construction site areas were determined. The verification of compliance with the absolute limits for environmental acoustics was carried out with respect to those defined in Article 6 of the Prime Ministerial Decree of March 1, 1991, as the municipalities have not adopted their own Municipal Acoustic Classification Plan and the verification of compliance with the differential limits was carried out pursuant to Article 4 of the Prime Ministerial Decree. 14/11/1997.

The analysis carried out revealed exceedances in both the absolute input level and the differential input level. In a subsequent phase of project development and, based on the results, appropriate mitigation works may be envisaged, such as the installation of noise barriers around the perimeter of the affected construction site areas.