With 55,000 silicon panels, the solar farm is also one of the largest such systems anywhere in the world within an airport perimeter. The solar farm was constructed along the eastern side of Runway 3 at Rome Fiumicino Airport.
The new infrastructure was designed by ADR and built by Enel in collaboration with Circet, following a European public tender. It extends for almost 2.5km and is made up of approximately 55,000 mono-crystalline silicon panels: with a capacity of 22MWp, it will allow the airport to produce more than 30 million kWh of electricity per year.
This launch represents a first, significant step towards the airport reaching an installed power of 60Mwp in the next five years, with the installation of additional solar farms within the perimeter of the current area. Such capacity would be enough to satisfy the annual energy needs of 30,000 Italian households for an entire year, or – in terms of electric cars – to fully charge approximately one million vehicles.
Approximately €50m has been invested in the project, which is part of a portfolio of initiatives for renewable energy generation and sustainable mobility with a financial commitment exceeding €200m.
The solar farm, which will help reduce Fiumicino’s CO2 emissions by over 11,000 tons per year, is one of the most ambitious initiatives implemented by ADR, which aims to reach net zero carbon in 2030 – a full 20 years ahead of the industry’s target.
In addition to reducing the use of fossil fuels for the energy needs of airport operations, the new project will also enhance energy independence and resilience to market volatility.
"The launch of the new solar farm strengthens our commitment to the green transition and decarbonisation, with an infrastructure that is unique in the international airport landscape. The energy independence that this new project ensures for our airport will significantly reduce the environmental impact of our operations, in line with the sustainable development model that we have been building for years – a model representing the first and essential prerequisite for the growth of the airport, the region and the whole country," said Marco Troncone, CEO of Aeroporti di Roma.
