Sicily wind-farm models project marine-mammal noise disturbance extending up to 68 kilometers

Researchers are evaluating potential marine impacts of floating wind turbines in Italy’s seas.

European climate regulations are equally ambitious and strict, requiring rapid capacity growth.

For densely populated nations like Italy, this large-scale expansion can be challenging.

Establishing utility-scale clean power generation facilities, such as wind farms, frequently triggers intense local opposition and land-use conflicts.

Offshore power generation offers an ideal solution, but as technology moves deeper into the sea, native wildlife must be considered.

Will the latest research on the Strait of Sicily help strike a balance?

How densely populated regions face spatial barriers

Globally, nations are under immense pressure to decarbonize their economies.

Yet some find this even more strenuous, as expanding land-based green power capacity faces significant obstacles.

Countries like Italy are densely populated, leaving little to no room for large-scale developments.

The Italian peninsula in particular is severely restricted by urban development, mountainous terrain, agriculture, and historical preservation zones.

Establishing utility-scale clean power generation facilities, such as wind farms, frequently triggers intense local opposition and land-use conflicts.

This has made securing suitable acreage more challenging, creating a significant barrier to the renewable energy transition.

A steady surge in modern electricity consumption compounds this physical bottleneck.

Italy’s power load is continuously expanding, necessitating the rapid deployment of green capacity.

This is also key to meeting its National Energy and Climate Plan and European Union directives.

To satisfy all these needs while overcoming spatial constraints, offshore power generation offers the most viable path forward.

Turning to the deeper side for offshore generation

Since wind power is key to expanding renewable capacity in Italy, deploying it offshore became even more advantageous.

Italy will significantly benefit from capitalizing on consistent, stronger ocean breezes that deliver high-capacity clean electricity.

Presently, an extensive pipeline of proposed projects with a combined capacity of over 30 gigawatts is in development.

However, while this offshore source bypasses mainland land-use competition and conflict, it does face other limitations.

Fixed-bottom turbine units are reaching capacity limits in shallow coastal waters.

The nation has a narrow continental shelf that drops sharply, limiting where offshore turbines can be deployed.

Furthermore, this limited shallow acreage must also be shared with commercial fishing, maritime shipping, tourism, and marine conservation areas.

Fortunately, floating wind turbine technology has been reshaping where humanity can harness clean energy over the ocean.

However, recent research in the Strait of Sicily shows that these installations can have an ecological impact.

The underwater acoustic footprint modeling study

Extensive research is being conducted on the impact of floating wind turbines on marine biodiversity.

For potential trade-offs in the Strait of Sicily, a research team led by JASCO Applied Sciences conducted a modeling study.

More specifically, underwater sound distribution at three proposed floating wind farms was modeled.

The goal was to establish how continuous low-frequency operational noise affects local marine fauna, including mammals and sea turtles.

The model’s operational noise can travel great distances. It remained detectable above ambient background noise up to 68 km (42.2 miles) from the source.

The potential risks of the proposed wind farms

The results indicate that the risk of permanent or temporary physical hearing damage for marine life is low to non-existent.

However, in extreme scenarios with prolonged exposure at close proximity to the turbines, the risk increases.

The primary ecological concerns remain behavioral disturbance and acoustic masking.

These findings indicate that floating offshore turbines can trigger minor to moderate behavioral changes and habitat displacement.

To secure Italy’s offshore wind power capacity growth, it is vital to mandate real-time acoustic monitoring.

Furthermore, mitigation efforts like spatial buffers around fragile habitats must be prioritized, especially during peak seasonal migrations. Ultimately, future floating wind projects must account for local marine conservation to accelerate offshore clean energy expansion.

This study’s findings can be reviewed here: Baldachini, M., Pace, F., Buscaino, G., Racca, R., Wood, M. A., Burns, R. D., & Papale, E. (2025). Assessing the potential acoustic impact of floating offshore wind farms in the Central Mediterranean Sea. Marine Pollution Bulletin, 212, 117615.