Iberdrola has signed an agreement with IB Vogt for the construction of a 245 MW photovoltaic project in Sicily, to which a further 60 MW could be added, bringing the total to 305 MW. In any case, the initial project has sufficient capacity to cover the needs of more than 140,000 families with emission-free green energy, which is a population similar to that of Catania.
The project, called Fenix, will start construction in March and will mark an unprecedented event in the Italian energy landscape as the largest photovoltaic project under construction in the country. Italy currently has only 60 plants of more than 10 MW, and the average project is 26 MW.
When operational, with its 424,638 photovoltaic modules, the plant will generate around 400 GWh per year, avoiding the emission of 119,000 tonnes of CO2 into the atmosphere. In addition, it is expected to create direct local employment for around 500 workers during the construction phase and more than 100 permanent jobs during the commercial operation phase.
The agreement for the construction of Fénix consolidates Iberdrola’s growth in Italy and its contribution to the country’s energy security. In addition, this type of facility supports the decarbonisation path of large industrial customers through the supply of renewable energy through the sale of long-term power contracts.
“This is a further step in Iberdrola’s growth in Italy,” says Valerio Faccenda, Country Manager of Iberdrola Renewables in Italy, who highlights how the company “has undoubtedly laid a solid foundation to achieve the 2030 and 2035 targets, with a 100% renewable portfolio of more than 115 wind, photovoltaic and storage projects in advanced stages of development with a total capacity of 5 GW”. Strong presence in Italy
In 2022, Iberdrola commissioned its first 23 MW PV plant in Italy, in Montalto di Castro, Lazio. In the same region, the company completed its second 7 MW solar plant in Montefiascone in 2023 and began construction of another 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 start construction in the first half of 2024, while three other projects are planned for the second half of the year and already have all the necessary authorisations.
In total, the multinational, Europe’s leading electricity company in terms of share capital and second in the world, will have 330 MW under construction in Italy in 2024 and another 40 MW in early 2025, reaching an installed capacity of 400 MW and placing it among the leading renewable operators in the country.
