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23 June 2023
Enel X- Aeroporti di Roma: the largest self-consumption photovoltaic system in Europe at Leonardo da Vinci airport
Enel was awarded the public tender to build, with the collaboration of Circet Italia S.p.A., the largest European self-consumption photovoltaic plant in an airport. The plant will make a considerable contribution to the energy efficiency process launched by ADR for the Fiumicino international hub and to the reduction of CO2 emissions into the atmosphere equivalent to the planting of around 100 thousand trees a year.
Enel X, following the award of a European public tender launched by Aeroporti di Roma, confirms its commitment to offering partners solutions and technologies that perfectly integrate innovation and energy production from renewable sources, accelerating the sustainability path of Aeroporti di Roma. Enel, dedicated to the development of innovative energy efficiency solutions and services, will build, for Aeroporti di Roma, in partnership with Circet S.p.A., a leading company in the development of infrastructures, the largest self-consumption photovoltaic plant in a European airport. Located parallel to the Leonardo da Vinci runway 3, the plant will cover an area of 340,000 m2 with a power capacity of 22 MW, producing approximately 32 GWh of renewable energy per year when fully operational. Once operational, the plant will avoid the emission of over 11,000 tonnes of CO2 into the atmosphere.

“The construction of the new photovoltaic plant, the largest in Europe, is a significant step in the now consolidated partnership with Aeroporti di Roma” declared Francesco Venturini, Head of Enel X “We are facing an intervention in the airport sector never seen before which, thanks to our leadership in the creation of advanced technologies in the energy sector, will largely contribute to reducing emissions from Fiumicino Airport, making it even more of a global excellence”.

“We are continuing with one of the most ambitious initiatives in our sustainable development path” commented Marco Troncone, ADR's Chief Executive Officer “because this project, in partnership with Enel X, will allow for the generation of over 32 GWh of renewable energy per year thanks to the largest self-consumption photovoltaic system for a European airport. We are convinced that Italian excellence can and must work together for the transformation and relaunch of a strategic sector for our country and to contribute to the mitigation of climate change.”

Aeroporti di Roma, the first Italian airport hub and one of the best hubs in the world, as evidenced by the 5-star Skytrax, has chosen to focus on digitalisation, safety, innovation and environmental sustainability and has been embarking for some years on a path aimed at zeroing emissions of CO2 in 2030, ahead of the targets set by the European airport sector, confirming its determination on the sustainability front and, specifically, in the fight against climate change. The innovative photovoltaic system will consist of approximately 55,000 latest generation photovoltaic panels in addition to housing structures, cabins and cable ducts and was designed considering the most advanced technologies in the sector for perfect adaptation of the installation requirements for structures of this type. The works will start by the end of 2023 and will be completed in 2024. The new solar plant will be integrated with an accumulation system based on batteries from electric vehicles that have reached their second life cycle. The 10 MWh storage is the result of the Pioneer-airPort sustaInability secONd lifE battEry stoRage project, the first step in the collaboration between Enel X and ADR, and will help cover any evening peaks in energy demand at the airport. These are two interventions that show the continuity of the path started by Enel X and ADR and consolidate the position of Enel as a leading partner for Aeroporti di Roma in the field of energy efficiency.