Wednesday 4 December 2019

Octopus Renewables switches on seven subsidy-free solar plants in Italy

Octopus Renewables has announced the commissioning of seven new solar power plants in Italy that were developed without subsidies from government.

Located near Cagliari on the island of Sardinia, they have a total capacity of 70MW and will produce enough electricity to power roughly one fifth of homes in the city.

The solar panels use single axis trackers to follow the sun during the day, providing a 30% boost in production compared to if they were laid flat.

Sara Grottola, Commercial Asset Manager at Octopus Renewables, said: “Subsidy-free solar is still in its infancy in Italy, so this is another significant step forward in their transition to a future powered by renewable energy. The construction of large-scale renewable energy plants has numerous benefits including job creation, with approximately 380 people involved in the construction of these plants alone.

“The health benefits from improved air quality and reduced energy prices will also help to improve the lives of local residents.”

Octopus Renewables currently manages a global portfolio of renewable energy assets valued at more than £3 billion and with a combined capacity of more than 2.5GW.

It previously signed two power purchase agreements (PPAs) with EGO Group and Shell Energy Europe in Italy to provide electricity from the solar plants.