UK-based renewable energy company Nadara has completed a 227 MW agrivoltaic project in Sicily that it describes as the largest facility of its kind in Italy.

The Big Fish project is located in the province of Catania. According to Nadara, construction was supported by a previously signed 156 MW power purchase agreement (PPA) with Amazon.

Located around 40 km from Mount Etna, the project extends across the municipalities of Catania, Lentini and Motta Sant’Anastasia. Nadara said the facility was built in 12 months, with more than 900 workers involved in construction.

The project covers around 400 hectares across 15 plots, with approximately half of the area dedicated to agricultural activities.

Nadara estimates that local municipalities will receive at least €17.25 million for services and energy-efficiency measures over the project’s operating life. The funding will support infrastructure upgrades, monitoring systems for public buildings and electric vehicles for municipal use.

The developer said environmental mitigation measures included the planting of 38,000 trees and maintenance work along 2.5 km of public waterways.

To accommodate agricultural activities, the solar panels were installed at heights of up to 3 meters. Overhead cables were routed around the perimeter of the site, while 14 wells were built or restored to provide irrigation. Beehives installed at the project are expected to produce around 4.5 metric tons of honey per year.

Regional documents show that the project’s environmental approval included a 20 MW/40 MWh battery energy storage system. Environmental approval was granted in May 2023, followed by final permit in October 2023.

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