Iberdrola to build 245MW solar project in Italy

Spanish energy company Iberdrola has signed an agreement with engineering firm IB Vogt for the construction of a 245MW solar PV project in the Sicily region of Italy.

It will be called Fénix and, according to Iberdrola, will be the largest solar PV plant to go into construction in Italy, where the current average capacity size is 26MW.

The plant will consist of 424,638 photovoltaic modules and will generate around 400GWh per year, providing power to cover the needs of over 140,000 homes.

Also, the project will avoid 119,000 tonnes of CO2 and will create direct local employment for approximately 500 workers during construction, which will begin in March 2024.

In the future, there is an option to add 60MW to the project, bringing the total capacity to 305MW.

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"We have already taken major steps forward in our renewables development in Italy, and our growth in the country does not stop," said Valerio Faccenda, country manager of Iberdrola Renewables in Italy.

"Iberdrola has laid solid foundations to achieve our 2030 and 2035 objectives, with a 100% renewable portfolio of more than 115 wind, photovoltaic and storage projects in advanced development to deliver a total capacity of 5 GW."

In 2022, Iberdrola commissioned its first 23 MW solar PV plant in Italy, located in Montalto di Castro, Lazio. In the same region, in 2023 the company also completed its second solar plant in Montefiascone (7 MW) and started the construction of a further 32 MW solar plant in Tarquinia.

In addition to the Fenix project, two other solar plants, Limes 10 and Limes 15, of 18 MW and 36 MW respectively, will begin construction in the first half of 2024. Three more projects are also scheduled for the second half of the year and already have all necessary permits.

In total, the multinational will have 330MW under construction in Italy in 2024 and another 40MW at the beginning of 2025.

Italy's energy mix

The International Energy Agency states that Italy has experienced significant growth in the renewable energy sector integrating large volumes of variable renewable generation.

However, fossil fuels, especially natural gas play a major role in electricity and heating. In 2022, energy consumed came from natural gas (37.6%), oil and petroleum products (35.7%), renewables (18.5%), coal (5%), imported electricity (2.5%), and non-renewable waste (0.8%).

Originally published on powerengineeringint.com