ROME:

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.

The agrivoltaic plant is expected to have a capacity of 80 to 90 megawatts, making it one of Italy’s largest such installations, the sources added. In such plants, solar panels are mounted several metres above the ground so crops can grow beneath them, with the shade helping to reduce evaporation and shielding plants from extreme weather.

A joint Italian-Vatican commission met earlier this month to launch the project at the Vatican-owned Santa Maria di Galeria estate on Rome’s northwestern outskirts, after Italy ratified a 2025 bilateral agreement for development of the site this year.

Officials disclosed no details of the project’s cost, capacity or timeline after the meeting. The sources involved in the discussions said the plant could take 18 to 24 months to complete, including permitting and administrative procedures.

The plant is designed to supply power to Vatican Radio’s transmission station and help make Vatican City State fully energy self-sufficient.

The sources said the power could also be used by Holy See-linked properties including Rome’s Bambino Gesù hospital. The Vatican will not benefit from the financial incentives available to Italian households and businesses that install solar power. Any surplus electricity would be made available to Italy.