The operator of Rome’s Fiumicino airport, Aeroporti di Roma (ADR), has opened a new solar farm built by Enel and network service provider Circet. The project followed a European public tender, after which the integrated contract was awarded.
ADR, which manages Fiumicino, stated that the solar farm is the largest self-consumption photovoltaic system at a European airport and one of the largest systems in the world within an airport perimeter.
A total of €50 million ($52.2 million) has been invested to implement the project, which forms part of a portfolio of initiatives for “renewable energy generation and sustainable mobility,” with a financial commitment exceeding €200 million ($209 million), the airport operator said in a statement.
The solar farm at Italy’s largest airport spans almost 2.5 km and comprises 55,000 mono-crystalline silicon panels. According to the airport operator, the farm has a maximum capacity of 22 megawatts, set to reach 60 megawatts within the next five years.
ADR highlighted that this capacity would be sufficient to meet the annual energy needs of 30,000 Italian households for an entire year.
“This photovoltaic plant demonstrates how the energy transition can generate growth opportunities not only in terms of business but also for citizens, who will now benefit from an even greener and more innovative hub,” said Gilberto Pichetto Fratin, Italy’s minister of environment and energy security.
The project aims to reduce the airport’s CO2 emissions by over 11,000 tonnes per year.