Solar Farm: the largest photovoltaic park in a European airport

Work supervision and Safety Coordination: 2023-2025

The intervention constitutes the first 22 MW ground-mounted photovoltaic generation plant built within the premises of Leonardo da Vinci International Airport and forms part of a broader development program involving additional similar installations planned near Runway 3. ADR Ingegneria carried out Construction Supervision and Safety Coordination during the execution phase of the plant works. The system is currently fully operational, contributing significantly to the airport’s energy demand (approximately 30 GWh/year) and to the reduction of atmospheric emissions, both of pollutants and greenhouse gases such as CO₂, SO₂, NOₓ, and particulate matter.

The new Runway 3 Solar Farm at Fiumicino Airport is a ground-mounted photovoltaic installation covering an area of approximately 260,000 m² east of the RWY 16L–34R runway strip and running parallel to it. The entire area is divided into 10 subfields, each with a capacity of about 2 MW, in order to maximize energy production while complying with existing constraints related to glare effects, land configuration, and the presence of underground utilities.

Overall, the plant is equipped with approximately 55,000 high-efficiency 400 W monocrystalline silicon photovoltaic modules and 164 inverters in a distributed configuration, which convert the direct current produced by the modules into alternating current. The energy converted at low voltage is stepped up to 20 kV medium voltage through 10 transformer substations, one located in each subfield. Through a central Collection Substation, all the energy produced by the transformer stations is fed into the airport’s medium-voltage electrical network.

In performing its services, ADR Ingegneria ensured the proper execution of the works in full compliance with design specifications, regulatory requirements, and contractual provisions, while guaranteeing airport operational continuity, the safety of workers and users, adherence to the construction schedule, and the quality of the completed works. These objectives were achieved through careful planning of activities interfering with airside infrastructure, coordination of construction operations within a fully operational airport environment, and the constant presence of specialized personnel, which made it possible to promptly address and resolve issues arising during construction, ensuring steady progress of the works without interruptions.