Enel Green Power Starts Building Italian Agrivoltaic Plant 

Enel Green Power has begun construction of an Italian photovoltaic power plant with a capacity of around 170 MW that is fully integrated with the agricultural sector in the area, namely Tarquinia, in the province of Viterbo, Latium. 

Once fully operational, the plant is expected to generate around 280 GWh per year on average – the start of construction also marks the beginning of a project which, once complete, will allow the company to avoid the annual emission of around 130,000 tons of CO2 into the atmosphere as well as saving approximately 26 million cubic meters of gas per year.

This means that fossil fuel will be fully replaced by locally produced renewable energy that can meet the energy needs of roughly 111,000 households in a sustainable way. 

The plant will leverage on bifacial photovoltaic modules – with technology enabling solar energy to be absorbed on both the front and rear surfaces – which will be mounted on sun-tracking structures in order to maximize the production of renewable energy.

This agrivoltaic solar farm will be built in an area owned by a local company that will be working with Enel Green Power on integrating agricultural activities at the plant. Specifically, fodder and borage will be grown in vacant areas between the rows of solar panels and in the buffer zones of overhead power lines, while olive trees will be planted around the perimeter.

“The solar plant we are building in Tarquinia shows that an increase in the use of renewable energy can be harmoniously combined with agricultural activities,” says Salvatore Bernabei, CEO of Enel Green Power. “In fact, this plant will seamlessly integrate with the local area and will host crops, resulting in a positive impact on the environment, the economy and the local area, as well as helping to reduce Italy’s energy dependency.”  

The companies involved in the construction are from Latium, with most based in the province of Viterbo. Upwards of 330 people will be employed over an estimated construction period of 13 months. 

Original Source: https://solarindustrymag.com/enel-green-power-starts-building-italian-agrivoltaic-plant