Floating offshore wind generation: Where could we go? Present framework of challenges and future developments for Italy and Europe

• Presentation of the state of the art of floating wind technology. • Identification of major challenges affecting FOWF development. • Analysis of the Italian and EU framework for floating wind energy. • Proposition of future research directions and industrial priorities. Europe set a renewable energy consumption target of 42.5 % by 2030, and Italy has to almost double its production of renewable electricity in this decade. Among the multiple possibilities to achieve its goals, offshore wind energy has been identified as one of the technologies of great interest and the highest development potential. In particular, floating offshore wind farms (FOWFs) have become the most promising kind of wind energy generation in Italy, due to many positive aspects, in particular the higher capacity factors and independence from water depth, especially for a territory characterized by low wind speeds onshore and deep national waters. Nevertheless, these technologies still face multiple challenges: electrical transmission issues, large-scale manufacturing, materials choice, suitable port identification, substation and floating platform layouts, all contributing to the fact that this generation is not commercially mature at present. The purpose of this paper is to define where scientific research should be addressed to make FOWF a technically and economically competitive technology. It provides a mapping of the actual technology readiness framework in its fundamental aspects, with particular focus on Italy, and shows how policies have a higher impact on its development than on the technological aspects.