Aresol, a company from La Rioja that has operated in renewable energy for more than forty years, announced on Thursday the start of construction of its first two photovoltaic parks in Italy. The installations are located in Latina province, in the Lazio region, a few kilometers south of Rome. Together they total 12 megawatts (MW) of capacity. The project marks a new step in the group's international expansion, according to the company.

Two turnkey EPC contracts

Both contracts are awarded under the EPC, or "turnkey," model, which stands for engineering, procurement and construction. The scheme covers design, equipment supply, assembly, configuration and commissioning of the installations. Once the works are completed, Aresol will also provide operation and maintenance "during the first years of operation." In the Spanish market, GES signed four contracts worth €225 million for 12 solar plants in Aragon, another example of solar construction contracts.

Equipment and timeline

The two parks will have capacities of 6.9 MW and 5.1 MW, respectively. According to Aresol, they will be fitted with high-efficiency bifacial solar modules and metal structures designed to optimize use of the solar resource. The installations will also include inverters and transformer stations.

The company plans to complete the works between June and July 2027. Connection of both plants to the Italian electricity distribution grid is expected in the last quarter of that year.

International expansion and more than 100 jobs

Javier Roncal, Aresol's chief executive, says these first projects in Italy "represent a fundamental boost to transfer our experience to international markets." He adds that the Italian market is an opportunity to replicate the business model that has consolidated Aresol in the sector, in a European context of energy transformation. Other Spanish developers are also looking abroad: Grenergy secured $457 million for 446 MW of solar and storage in Chile.

According to the company, the project is expected to generate more than 100 direct and indirect jobs. It will involve Spanish firms that regularly work with Aresol on solar plant construction, as well as Italian companies set to join its network of partners.