Italy’s Geogreen and RadiciGroup have inaugurated a new €4 million solar plant in Isola Dovarese in Cremona, to power the production of synthetic fibres and plastic polymers.

The photovoltaic plant is located in an area previously occupied by a RadiciGroup production site which has been inactive since 2005. After demolition and requalification work, the land was sold to Geogreen, as the sole renewable energy supplier to RadiciGroup.

The new plant – which has been built taking into account environmental and landscape requirements without using any additional land – extends over a surface area of 40,000 square metres and consists of over 5,000 photovoltaic panels with installed power of about 4 MW and estimated annual production of around 5.5 million kWh, corresponding to the annual consumption of about 2,000 homes.

One hundred percent of the energy produced will be used by RadiciGroup, preventing potential emissions of over 2,500 metric tons of CO2 per year that would otherwise be generated by the procurement of a comparable amount of energy from non-renewable sources.

Geogreen, which until yesterday was focused solely on producing renewable hydroelectric energy at six power stations, has implemented a diversification plan with the production of solar energy at Isola Dovarese, backed by a three-year €10 million investment plan already approved by its board of directors.

“The inauguration of this photovoltaic plant is an important step in our commitment to sustainability and energy transition,” says Geogreen president Angelo Radici. “Investing in renewable energies is essential to reduce environmental impact and ensure a more sustainable future for our companies, our region and local communities, which we are proud to be part of.”

The photovoltaic panels in the new plant use solar tracking technology and are bi-facial, increasing productivity by 20% compared to traditional solar systems. In addition, a 25,000-square-metre area adjacent to the solar plant will be retained as a green space for the local community.

www.geogreen.it