Italy combines energy and agricultural development models

Harmonizing the activities inherent to the field and the production of energy will soon become a reality in Scicli, Sicilylia, as was confirmed by the guests of the media tour that was organized to spread the perfect integration between both production ecosystems.

Falck Renewables will build the agrovoltaic park with a power of 9.7 MW and a production of 20 GW of renewable energy in the Sicilian town of Scicli, noted for its vegetable crops in solar greenhouses. According to those responsible, the park will produce enough energy to supply electricity to some 5,000 families, avoiding the emission into the atmosphere of thousands of tons of carbon dioxide.

The agrovoltaic park will be carried out on land that has not been cultivated in the last twenty years, but now it is intended to demonstrate how activities related to the environment, energy production, agricultural activities and work are fully compatible.

The agricultural project includes the cultivation of vegetables, almonds, fruits in the open field and will be executed under the supervision of the Department of Agriculture, Food and Environment of the University of Catania, based on studies on the “compatibility of crops with the climate , the terrain and the structures of the power plant.”

According to Paolo Guarnaccia, professor at the Faculty of Agriculture of Catania, for the selection of crops “we focus on autochthonous fruits and vegetables; that is, of proven adaptability to the area” and 5 hectares of the 22 that it contemplates will be used the agrovoltaico park.

While the mayor of Scicli, Vincenzo Giannone considers that the development of the park will allow the execution of the “energy transition with international actors in Sicily”, turning the community into an “example of economic vanguard and agricultural, environmental and social sustainability”.

M. Rodríguez

Source: freshplaza.es