Built between Marsala and Mazara del Vallo it has an installed capacity of 66 MW
Latest generation technology for a plant with an installed capacity of 66 MW, with over 120,000 photovoltaic panels, covering 115 hectares (equivalent to 161 football fields) and capable of combining the production of renewable energy with local agricultural crops . The first large-scale agri-voltaic park built in Italy was inaugurated today by Engie, a global energy group engaged in the transition to a carbon neutral economy. Announced in 2021, thanks to an agreement with Amazon, it is an example of not only technological avant-garde, as it is also the first conceived on the basis of a Corporate PPA (Power Purchase Agreement) contractual model between two private companies. Cutting the ribbon today was, among others, Monica Iacono, CEO of Engie Italia; Giorgio Busnelli, director of consumer goods categories for Amazon in Europe; and the Deputy Minister of the Environment, Vannia Gava.
“Despite the context of the global crisis, we have continued on our decarbonisation path towards the energy transition – said Iacono -. Renewables are an important part of the group’s strategy, we have allocated 25 billion euros over the next two years worldwide. The Mazara del Vallo agri-voltaic park is a stupendous project that manages to reconcile energy with the environment and is fully consistent with the development strategy in Italy and in the world”.
Built between Marsala and Mazara del Vallo, in the Trapani area, by 150 people, it is the first of the two renewable energy plants announced by Engie and Amazon. The second is located in Paternò, in the province of Catania, and will begin producing energy by the end of the year. Both will guarantee a total production capacity of 104Mw Peak* (83MW AC) with savings, according to Engie estimates, of over 62 thousand tons of CO2 emissions per year. The energy fed into the Italian national grid will largely be used to power Amazon’s activities in Italy. Attention to the environment and valorisation of the territory.
According to Busnelli, director of consumer goods categories for Amazon in Europe, the agricultural park of Mazara del Vallo “combines the production of renewable energy with the preservation of arable land”. Equipped with latest generation technology with bifacial solar panels mounted on single-axis trackers that allow both direct and reflected light to be captured from the surrounding land, in fact, the plant combines the production of renewable energy with agricultural crops mainly forage as well as vines , lavender and aromatic and medicinal plants. “It will thus be possible to guarantee the protection of the rural landscape and biodiversity and ensure a positive impact also for the local agricultural realities involved in crop management”, explain from Engie.
“This project allows us to accelerate our path towards net zero CO2 emissions by 2040, contribute to the country’s energy transition and generate a positive impact in the communities in which we operate”, concludes Busnelli.
Source-www.adnkronos.com