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European energy, a Danish company with significant industrial interests in Italy, has given the final green light to the investment (over 200 million euros) for a 225 megawatt agrivoltaic (agri-pv) project near Vizzini, Sicily. The decision comes after the company’s award, at the recent FerX contract for difference auction, of five solar projects distributed between Sicily, Puglia and Molise, for a total of 513 megawatts and approximately 500 million of total economic commitment. The Vizzini park is also part of these, into which Ee has decided to channel the most substantial investment.
Once operational, company leaders assure, the project (authorized in 2023) will form the largest solar park in Italy, combining large-scale solar energy production with continuous agricultural use “and supporting Italian objectives in terms of renewable energy”. The development includes elevated photovoltaic structures to allow agricultural activities to continue, ensuring dual use of the land and long-term productivity.
«An investment like the one that was decided in Vizzini, which will combine clean energy and valuable agricultural crops – states Alessandro Migliorini, director and country manager for Italy of European energy – also has great value in terms of the industrial supply chain and foreign investments in Italy. Given the nature of the project and its size, it will be necessary to invest over 200 million and, it must be underlined, that a large part of these resources will be linked to direct investments in Italy.”
The technological component linked to photovoltaic panels, in fact, continues the manager, «accounts for about a third. While the specific skills linked to civil works, technical design, agronomic studies and so on, will contribute to the growth, in perspective, of a supply chain of skills, on the agrivoltaic theme, important for a country like Italy, which combines record solar radiation with a great tradition of valuable crops. Also for this reason, European energy wanted to be among the founding members of an association, called Agrivoltaica, dedicated to the development of initiatives in this sector, to create a bridge between industry, sector operators, institutions and authorization bodies”.
The integrated design of the project on Vizzini, adds Migliorini, «demonstrates how it is possible to maintain agricultural use within the development of large-scale photovoltaic systems». Once operational, the installation, he concludes, will exceed the dimensions of previous Italian plants connected to the grid.
