Vatican plans solar and agriculture plant to cover its electricity needs: Report
The project could make Vatican City energy self-sufficient and send surplus electricity to Italy, sources said.
- The Vatican plans to build a roughly €100 million agrivoltaic plant at the Santa Maria di Galeria estate, sources say, with an expected capacity of 80 to 90 megawatts and completion within 18 to 24 months.
- A 2025 bilateral agreement between Italy and the Holy See authorized development at the Santa Maria di Galeria estate, which has hosted Vatican Radio facilities since the 1950s.
- Tracking solar panels will cover about 200 hectares of the roughly 450-hectare site, positioning Vatican City to achieve energy self-sufficiency while surplus power serves Holy See-linked properties including Rome's Bambino Gesu hospital.
- Contracts for infrastructure will be put out to tender in the coming weeks, building on the Vatican's 2008 renewable energy precedent when German companies SolarWorld and SMA Solar Technology donated 2,400 photovoltaic panels for Nervi Hall.
- Italy's ratification law mandates that project implementation must not impose new public financial burdens, ensuring the development operates under a framework of tax exemptions while advancing the Holy See's climate commitments.
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The project promoted by Pope Francis and continued by Leo XIV contemplates an investment close to 100 million euros
A joint Italy-Vatican committee met earlier this month to launch the project on the "Santa Maria di Galeria" estate, owned by the Vatican.
Vatican Ventures into Renewable Energy with €100 Million Agrivoltaic Project | Science-Environment
The Vatican plans to construct a €100 million renewable energy plant, combining solar power and agriculture. Scheduled for completion in 18-24 months, the project will make Vatican City self-sufficient in energy. It aims to supply power to the Vatican Radio and other properties, with excess electricity supporting Italy.
Let there be sunlight: Vatican plans solar and agriculture plant to cover its electricity needs
The Vatican will build a roughly €100 million ($117 million) renewable energy plant that could power the Holy See within two years via a system combining solar power and agriculture, sources involved in discussions on the project said.
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