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The Vatican will build an agrivoltaic station for €100 million.
Economy
The Vatican plans to build a renewable energy facility costing approximately €100 million ($117 million) that could provide the Holy See with electricity for two years,
Reuters reported on Saturday, citing sources involved in the project.
The agrivoltaic facility is expected to have a capacity of 80 to 90 megawatts, making it one of the largest projects in Italy combining solar power with agriculture.
Agrivoltaic installations place solar panels several meters above the ground, allowing crops to be grown beneath them. The shade reduces water evaporation and protects plants from extreme weather conditions.
The project will be built on the Vatican-owned Santa Maria di Galeria estate on the northwestern outskirts of Rome. Earlier this month, a joint Italian-Vatican commission met to begin work after Italy ratified a bilateral development agreement this year.
According to sources, construction, permitting, and administrative procedures could take 18 to 24 months. Contracts are planned to be put out to tender in the coming weeks.
The station will provide electricity to Vatican Radio's broadcasting facilities and help make the Vatican fully energy self-sufficient. Electricity could also be supplied to facilities associated with the Holy See, including the Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital in Rome.
Excess electricity will be supplied to Italy. However, the Vatican will not receive the financial incentives provided to Italian households and companies installing solar systems.
The tracking solar panels could cover approximately 200 hectares of the approximately 450-hectare estate, which has housed Vatican Radio's transmitting equipment since the 1950s.
The agreement grants the project the special status already in place for radio facilities, including exemption from Italian taxes and public charges. Italian law requires that its implementation not impose additional costs on public finances.
The project was promoted by the late Pope Francis and received the support of Pope Leo XIV.
The Vatican began implementing solar technology in 2008, when SolarWorld and SMA Solar Technology donated 2,400 photovoltaic panels and associated equipment for the roof of the Nervi Hall.