On Tuesday 14 April, we partnered with RINA to host the roundtable ‘New marine infrastructure: strategic networks for energy and connectivity’ at our Rome office, bringing together legal, technical and industry experts to explore the evolving offshore infrastructure landscape.
The rapid development of offshore infrastructure – from submarine cables and offshore data centres to energy production and distribution assets – is reshaping global connectivity, energy security and the energy transition. This evolution requires an increasingly integrated approach combining advanced engineering, specialised maritime operations, robust regulatory frameworks and bankable financial structures.
The discussion highlighted how offshore infrastructure is evolving into a strategic platform for both energy and digital systems, reinforcing the need for close collaboration between technical, legal and financial stakeholders across the project lifecycle.
Key takeaways:
- early‑stage contractual structuring is critical: allocating risk effectively across construction, conversion and operations is essential for maintaining bankability, safeguarding long‑term asset value and managing the inherent complexity of multi‑party offshore projects;
- flexibility is a prerequisite for financing multi‑purpose offshore assets: assets such as multi‑use FSRUs and fuel‑switching solutions (including LNG, ammonia and hydrogen) can attract financing where adaptability is hard‑wired into technical specifications, commercial documentation and financial models from the outset;
- energy and digital infrastructures are converging into a single offshore ecosystem: increasing reliance on data centres for offshore energy generation, cooling solutions and marine networks is driving the emergence of hybrid infrastructure models that blur traditional sector boundaries; and
- integrated, cross‑disciplinary planning underpins successful delivery: engineering, permitting, environmental assessment and financing must be aligned through a coordinated approach to ensure regulatory certainty, scalability and long‑term operational resilience.
SPEAKERs:
- Antonio Lucci, Energy Transition Director, RINA (Moderator)
- Andrea Leboffe, Head of Marine Floating Offshore Sector, RINA
- Linda Volpi, Head of Health, Safety and Environment Project Management, RINA
- Michele Autuori, Partner, Watson Farley & Williams
- Matteo Trabacchin, Partner, Watson Farley & Williams
If you’d like to explore the topic further, please contact Michele Autuori and Matteo Trabacchin.
