More photovoltaic but without consuming other agricultural land. Italy has chosen to safeguard agricultural production and at the same time to encourage solar panels. By March 31, the Ministry of Agriculture will publish the 1,5 billion euro tender for new electrical systems in the agricultural sector. A long-awaited tender which, upon publication, will also respect the timing set by the National Recovery and Resilience Plan. The government, therefore, supports new investments in the agricultural, zootechnical and agro-industrial sectors and blocks the controversy over the invasiveness of solar structures.
"We are ready to make an additional contribution to the transition towards climate neutrality to reduce dependence on fossil energy imports in the short term" commented the President of Confagricoltura, Massimiliano Giansanti. His organization is, in fact, among the most interested in photovoltaic incentive plans. In the countryside throughout Italy, companies have opportunities for new earnings without touching the crops.
The details of the announcement
Italian farmers are also motivated touse of biogas and land-based carbon storage resulting from field activities. The March announcement will encourage the installation of photovoltaic panels on the roofs of production buildings over a total area of 4,3 million square meters for 0,43 Gigawatt.
Le applications for access to contributions they will be managed by the GSE, which Minister Stefano Patuanelli has indicated as the implementer of the specific line of the PNRR. However, the Ministry will retain responsibility for supervising the works which should be faster in relation to the various authorisations. Checks should avoid attempts at scams or scams to the detriment of the state. It is also known that in the territories they are already standing contact with electricity companies specialized in photovoltaics. Many studios have blueprints ready and business plan and were waiting for the green light to sign the agreements. A sort of freeze is released and a new flow of money is put into circulation.
An ambitious plan
It is a decisive step especially in the current difficult phase of the race to the top of energy costs. "The goal set by the government is ambitious - adds Giansanti - but our sector can do more, without compromising agricultural production potential and quality”. Unused land could also be used for the production of green electricity. There is no shortage of technologies as regards the storage of the energy produced. Thousands of abandoned rural hectares can be used for this “spare” purpose.
Italy boasts a long tradition of storage of fossil fuels, ideas that return about the carbon to be captured. But in the green transition, campaigns lend themselves well to construction of mini energy communities integrated with other clean sources - in addition to photovoltaics - such as biogas. On the latter, the Decree milleproroghe has just established new incentives for plants up to 300 kilowatts. Another piece of the complicated mosaic of the Italian ecological transition.
