European Energy has broken ground on a 225.5MW agrivoltaic project near Vizzini, Sicily, Italy’s largest and one of Europe’s most significant agrivoltaic developments.
The project follows a final investment decision (FID) of more than €200m ($232.47m).
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It is supported by Italy’s FER X Transitional Contract for Difference (CfD) auction scheme, ensuring long-term revenue stability.
Once operational, the facility is expected to produce around 405GW-hours (GWh) of electricity each year, enough to power more than 135,000 households.
The installation aims to integrate large-scale solar energy generation with agricultural practices including sheep grazing and reforestation efforts.
Construction began after the project’s design and procurement phase concluded.
European Energy is overseeing engineering, procurement and construction, working alongside local contractors, suppliers and technical partners.
The project incorporates agrivoltaic technologies suited to regional agricultural conditions, designed for effective long-term operations and maintenance.
It contributes to a total of 513MW across five solar projects in Sicily, Puglia and Molise, all of which benefit from the FER X scheme.
European Energy Italy country manager Filippo Ricci said: “European Energy has established a strong development pipeline and local presence in Italy over the past 20 years, and we continue to see significant investor interest in large-scale renewable energy projects with strong resource quality, long-term visibility and integrated land-use solutions.
“Our focus remains on developing projects that are robust from both an operational and investment perspective.”
Approximately 820 sheep will graze among the solar panels, which are installed 1.3m above the ground over a plant area of 260 hectares (ha).
The site includes 90ha dedicated to reforestation and 25ha allocated for mitigation measures.
European Energy previously developed the Troia solar park in Puglia, the largest in Italy at its time of commissioning in 2020.
European Energy deputy CEO Jens-Peter Zink said: “Vizzini is a project of a substantial scale with strong long-term fundamentals.
“The combination of contracted revenues, advanced-stage development, grid connection and large-scale production capacity makes it an attractive asset profile within the European renewable energy market.”
In December 2025, the company secured planning approval for the Upper Calliope Solar Farm, a 1.1GW project near Gladstone in Queensland, Australia.
