RWE has achieved a significant milestone by securing contracts under the Italian Resilience and Recovery Plan auction.
The contracts include a tariff for a Contract for Difference and a potential return on investment of up to 40 percent for two advanced Agri-PV projects: the 9.8 MWac Morcone and 9.3 MWac Acquafredda plants. These projects are located in the Benevento province of Italy’s Campania region.
Construction of the two advanced Agri-PV systems, featuring over 32,500 solar modules, is set to commence in early 2025, with commissioning expected by the end of the same year. The projects will employ elevated tracker systems, with solar modules mounted three meters above ground on movable axis structures. This innovative design optimizes energy yield and supports agricultural activity beneath the panels.
The Agri-PV systems enable dual land use by combining solar energy production with agricultural cultivation, offering protection from extreme weather conditions such as hail, frost, and heavy rainfall. RWE will also monitor the systems’ performance, collecting meteorological and agricultural yield data to further refine Agri-PV technology.
Katja Wunschel, CEO of RWE Renewables Europe & Australia, said: “Agrivoltaics is a sustainable symbiosis between agriculture and renewable energy bringing in two different yields from the same land. This innovative technology helps us pave the way towards a sustainable future.”
RWE is a prominent player in the Italian renewable energy sector, leveraging its expertise to develop, construct, and operate renewable energy projects. The company currently operates 15 onshore wind farms with a total capacity of approximately 500 MW, providing green electricity to around 400,000 Italian households annually.
In addition to its Agri-PV projects, RWE is advancing the construction of wind farms in Apulia (San Severo, 54 MW, and Mondonuovo, 53 MW) and its first solar plant near Palermo (Bosco, 8.3 MWac).
These projects reaffirm RWE’s commitment to sustainable energy solutions and its strong presence in the Italian renewables market.