Enel Green Power has started the construction of an Italian solar power plant with a capacity of around 170 MW, fully integrated into the agricultural sector of the region, i.e. Tarquinia in the province of Viterbo in Lazio.
When fully operational, the facility is expected to produce an average of approximately 280 GWh per year – the start of construction also marks the beginning of a project that, upon completion, will allow the company to avoid annual emissions of approximately 130,000 tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere and save approximately 26 million cubic meters of gas per year.
This means that fossil fuels will be completely replaced by locally produced renewable energy, which can sustainably cover the energy needs of approximately 111,000 households.
The factory utilizes bifacial solar modules – whose technology allows solar energy to be absorbed on both the front and back surfaces – which are installed in structures that follow the sun to maximize renewable energy production.
This agricultural solar plant will be built on a site owned by a local company that is working with Enel Green Power to integrate agricultural activities at the plant. In particular, fodder and borage are grown in the free areas between the rows of solar panels and in the buffer zones of the overhead lines, and olive trees are planted around.
“The solar power plant we built in Tarquinia shows that increasing the use of renewable energy can be harmoniously combined with agricultural activities,” says Salvatore Bernabei, CEO of Enel Green Power. “In fact, this facility integrates seamlessly into the local area and hosts crops, which has a positive impact on the environment, the economy and the local area, as well as helping to reduce Italy’s energy dependence.”
The companies involved in the construction are from Lazio, and most are located in the province of Viterbo. More than 330 people will be employed during the estimated 13-month construction period.
