Danish IPP European Energy has started constructing a 225.5MW agrivoltaic solar PV project in Sicily, which it claims will be the “largest” such project in Italy.
The €200 million (US$232.67 million) project is situated across 260 hectares of land near Vizzini, Sicily, and will incorporate sheep grazing, reforestation initiatives and biodiversity measures in addition to solar power generation.
Try Premium for just $1
- Full premium access for the first month at only $1
- Converts to an annual rate after 30 days unless cancelled
- Cancel anytime during the trial period
Premium Benefits
- Expert industry analysis and interviews
- Digital access to PV Tech Power journal
- Exclusive event discounts
Or get the full Premium subscription right away
Or continue reading this article for free
European Energy said roughly 820 sheep will graze the site, where solar modules will be installed 1.3 metres above the ground. 90 hectares of land will be dedicated to reforestation, 25 hectares for “mitigation measures” including planting olive and prickly pear trees, and 25 hectares will be maintained in “natural conditions”.
European Energy was awarded a contract for difference (CfD) in the Italian government’s FER-X auction for the project. The company has secured contracts for a total of 513MW of solar power capacity through the scheme, split across five projects. Fellow developer Sonnedix also secured FER-X contracts, including for capacity in Sicily – PV Tech Premium spoke with Sonnedix about the “crucial” auctions last month.
“Vizzini is a project of a substantial scale with strong long-term fundamentals. The combination of contracted revenues, advanced-stage development, grid connection and large-scale production capacity makes it an attractive asset profile within the European renewable energy market,” said Jens-Peter Zink, deputy CEO of European Energy.
Southern Italy has significant potential for solar developments, with abundant land and good solar irradiation conditions. But the majority of Italian power demand is concentrated in the more industrialised north of the country.
The country’s utility-scale solar market is in a strong place, as a result of both government auctions and the drive to catch up with deployment targets. Chief of staff at German IPP Encavis, Jan-Philip Kock, told us earlier this year that Italy is the most exiting market for solar development in Europe, largely because it still has strong demand for standalone solar projects without energy storage capacity attached.
“The project has been developed in close dialogue with local stakeholders and authorities, with a strong focus on integrating the facility into the surrounding area,” added Alessandro Migliorini, head of public affairs, Italy at European Energy.
During an interview at the SolarPLUS Europe 2026 conference in Milan last month, PV Tech Premium heard that local knowledge and specialised local developers in places like Sicily will be a valuable part of Europe’s solar industry in the future, even as the wider sector is likely to consolidate and large players like European Energy or other IPPs are poised to increase their influence.
