The Swiss energy supplier Axpo has built two new solar parks in Italy. The company, with teams in Rome, Milan and Bari, is building a ground-mounted plant next to the Novelis aluminium rolling and recycling plant in Pieve in Lombardy, south-east of Milan on Lake Garda. The plant, which has an output of three megawatts, is already in operation and will in future cover part of the electricity requirements of the plant, where Novelis mainly produces aluminium strips using a continuous casting process.
Expanding agriphotovoltaics in southern Italy
Axpo is currently building a second, even larger solar plant. The project was initiated by the Italian agricultural company Favella Group and is being built in Calabria in the south of Italy. With an output of 13 megawatts, the plant is expected to generate around 24 gigawatt hours of solar power every year.
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This generator is scheduled to go into operation in 2024. The plant is the starting point of an in-depth collaboration between Axpo and Favella for the development of agriphotovoltaics in southern Italy.
Italy is an important solar market
The expansion of renewables is one of Axpo's strategic pillars. The company aims to develop ten gigawatts of installed capacity in the field of solar energy in Europe. As these two projects show, Italy plays an important role in this strategy, according to Axpo. The Swiss company has been active on the Italian market for more than two decades and offers customised solutions and energy services for end customers.
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"Italy has enormous potential for the expansion of solar energy production," emphasises Antoine Millioud, Head of Axpo's solar division. "With our specialised Italian team, which specialises in the construction, operation and maintenance of large-scale solar plants to generate sustainable electricity, we can be part of the energy transition."
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Developing more large-scale plants
In developing its solar strategy, Axpo is focussing on the construction of the plants and their refinancing via power purchase agreements (PPAs), among other things. "I am delighted that we are expanding our product range. The expansion of our solar activities to include the development of large-scale plants and the provision of even more comprehensive renewable energy solutions will ensure that we continue to support our customers in Italy during the transition to clean energy," says Simone Demarchi, Managing Director of Axpo in Italy. (su/mfo)
