Rome Airport Unveils Massive Solar Farm to Slash CO2 Emissions

ROME, Italy (Reuters) — Rome‘s Fiumicino Airport on Monday inaugurated a sprawling solar farm, a joint project by energy group Enel and network service provider Circet, aimed at reducing the airport’s carbon dioxide emissions by over 11,000 tons annually. The facility, spanning nearly 2.5 kilometers (1.55 miles) along the airport’s eastern perimeter, marks the first phase of a broader initiative to expand renewable energy use.

Aeroporti di Roma (ADR), the operator of Fiumicino, described the solar farm as the largest self-consumption photovoltaic system at any European airport and one of the largest globally within an airport’s boundaries. With a peak capacity of 22 megawatts, the project is expected to grow to 60 megawatts within five years through the addition of more solar panels.

The 50 million euro ($54 million) project is part of ADR’s 200 million euro investment plan focused on renewable energy and sustainable mobility. Mundys, the infrastructure group that owns ADR, emphasized the farm’s role in enabling sustainable growth. “The solar farm is a perfect example of how airport grounds can be optimized… to enable the airport’s sustainable growth,” said Mundys chairman Giampiero Massolo.

The initiative aligns with the Italian government’s goal of adding over 35 gigawatts of green energy capacity by 2030. However, the government has faced challenges in balancing renewable energy expansion with agricultural interests, having restricted the installation of solar panels on farmland last year due to concerns from agricultural lobbies.

Energy Minister Gilberto Pichetto Fratin praised the project during its unveiling, stating, “This is a demonstration of how we can use many areas that do not have monumental value or high agricultural intensity to achieve the goal of decarbonization.”