RRP Area – M2C1 Measure 2 Component 1.2 Investment 2.2- Objective: Increase the Share of Energy Produced from Renewable Sources. Agri-Solar Park Development. € 1,500 Million Total Budget
The investment aims to incentivize the installation of solar energy panels on a total area of 4.3 million square meters without soil consumption (with an installed power of approximately 0.43GW), carrying out, at the same time, a regeneration of the production plants through the removal of asbestos cement on the roofs, if any, and/or the improvement of insulation and ventilation.
The EU, through the Recovery and Resilience National Plan (RRP), will offer non-repayable contributions up to 40% (50% for Italy’s Southern regions) to Professional Agricultural Entrepreneurs (IAP in Italian).
Up to 20%, on the other hand, to young farmers (IAP under 40).
The energy produced can be self-consumed and/or sold.
The national call for proposals will be released by May 2022 by the GSE (Gestore Servizi Energetici: the company owned by Italy’s Ministry of Economy and Finance in charge of promoting and developing renewable sources and energy efficiency).
In order to obtain the fundings, candidates are required to prove:
- adequate knowledge and professional skills;
- they spend at least 50% of their total working time in agriculture-related activity
- they derive at least 50% of their overall income from agriculture-related activity.
In the event that the entrepreneur operates in a “less-favoured area”, referred to in art. 17 of the EC Reg. N. 1257/99, the aforementioned requirements are reduced from 50% to 25% (article 1 of Legislative Decree 99/2004 and Article 1 of Legislative Decree 101/2005).
The system can be installed on the roofs of agricultural premises. In particular:
- premises for the processing and transformation of products: millstones, oil mills and dairies.
- premises for products storage: barns, granaries and cellars.
- Premises for agricultural machinery: sheds for agricultural machinery, garages and adjacent buildings (tool sheds and fuel and lubricants storehouses).
- Animal shelters: barns, pigpens, sheepfolds, etc.