Photovoltaic: two important solar parks are about to be built in Sicily, Blusolar 1 and Blusolar 2

At the Augusta solar plant, one could say, all of Italy participated: through the crowdfunding campaign “Renewable Choice” wanted by Enel Green Power, and started on 9 May 2022.

Initially only for residentsthe initiative aroused great interestwith an active participation by the inhabitants of Augusta and Sicily, to the point that it was finally open nationwide.

The photovoltaic system informer Enel “Tifeo” thermoelectric plant, already at the center of valorisation projects.

The latest generation of photovoltaic modules produced by Enel green power in its factory in Catania will be used (to which we have dedicated several articles, which you can find here and here), the 3Sun 2.0.

The plant will make it possible to avoid the equivalent of each year 1,500 tons of carbon dioxide and the use of 800,000 cubic meters of gasreplacing them with locally produced renewable energy.

“With great pleasure – explains Eleonora Petrarca, head of Enel green power’s business development for Italy – we found a strong push from the Sicilian territory to support the construction of the Augusta solar plant which, like Enel green power, we are building to actively contribute to the transition Thanks to their “Renewable Choice”, citizens can benefit from a financial return in addition to the numerous advantages associated with the presence of a renewable plant in their own territory”.

The company will make available to Comal, which is entrusted with the construction of the solar park, its panels, as per the contract drawn up in September 2022which provides cooperation between the two companies for the construction of photovoltaic systems for an amount of up to 98 million euros.

Comal has in turn signed a contract with the energy investor Carlo Marescawhich through subsidiaries, “Blusolar Augusta 1” And “Blusolar Augusta 2”, presented plans to build photovoltaic plants on agricultural and industrial land in the Sin (Site of national interest) of Priolo, to be connected with underground cable ducts to the nearby Rtn electrical station “Augsburg” owned by Terna.

“We are satisfied with the order not only for the scope of the project but above all because it came from a leading investor in the renewable energy sector”commented Alfredo Balletti, CEO of Comal. “The Maresca Group has an important track record in the energy sector, with over 151 MW of plants already built and a pipeline of over 2 GW of which 430 MW already authorised”.

The mega solar park will be composed from five fields of photovoltaic plants on the ground, and will be built in the Augusta area, and to a lesser extent in Melilli.

The first four camps, by the overall power of 80 megawatts peakthey should “see the light” by August 2023Comal commented.

The solar park will have nominal DC power equal to 80.21079 MWp and input power AC equal to 60.00 MWconsisting of 141,966 bifacial photovoltaic modulesfor a total investment that would be approx 60 million euros.

The estimated producibility of the photovoltaic system is equal to 155,711 MWh/year.

A second project was presented by the “Blusolar Augusta 2”, to be built in Ogliastro districtto the west and south of the homonymous basin, near the “Pista del sole”, between the territories of Augusta and Villasmundo (fraction of Melilli).

It is a field (made up of four sub-fields) which will have a peak power equal to 34.6175 MWp integrated with a 10 MW AC storage system (here the Mise page dedicated to the project).

A subsequent solar park, therefore, located north-west of the one under construction, which will be able to boast 56,750 photovoltaic modules for a value, from the general economic framework, equal to approx 33 million eurosproducing fully operational electricity for 65,246 MWh/year.