An area of approx 50 hectares a Bologna, between Parco Nord and via del Gomito. This is the area chosen by Hera (Holding Energia Diritti Ambiente), the multi-service company, operating in 265 municipalities of the metropolitan city of Bologna, to create its first “Energy Park“. This is a new equipped urban park that will allow annual savings of 6.000 tons of CO2, integrated by areas dedicated to protection of animal and plant species and with a agrivoltaic field“. The latter will have photovoltaic panels raised from the ground to allow traditional agricultural activity powered by the clean energy of the sun's rays. Furthermore, an urban forest is planned with green areas equipped and accessible to citizens and with areas dedicated to animal and plant biodiversity.
Work starting in 2025, operational from 2026
The Energy Park, for which the Hera Group has obtained the patent, will become operational by 2026, and construction is expected to start during 2025. The project, which is announced with the key words Sustainability, decarbonisation, livability and safeguarding biodiversity, “it will be the first green infrastructure capable of combining the renewable energy production, the soil protection, the protection of animal and plant species” says Hera.
For citizens, a possible saving on their bills
Citizens will participate in the life of the park in various ways. Not only by using it, but they will also have the "opportunity to participate in the construction of photovoltaic systems by investing in a portion of them and receiving in exchange a discount on your bill equal to the energy produced. “A fundamental step for Bologna Missione Clima, the path towards climate neutrality that the Municipality of Bologna is committed to achieving by 2030 and to which the Hera Group joined immediately” reads the note from the multiutility.
The project is part of Hera's 2027 business plan
The Energy Park is “a solution that fully falls within the strategy outlined by Industrial plan to 2027 of the Hera Group, which on the photovoltaic electricity generation front has set itself the objective of installing approximately 300 MW over a period of time, preferring plant solutions that do not require further land consumption, such as agrivoltaic plants and the numerous projects currently under construction on landfills or plants of the Group's water cycle and installations at customers including Renewable Energy Communities" says a note.