• Zelestra’s Ginosa agrivoltaic plant will generate 11.7 GWh of clean power each year, enough for about 4,000 Italian households.
• The project will avoid almost 3,700 tons of CO₂ emissions annually while allowing agricultural activity to continue beneath elevated solar modules.
• The plant is the first operational project in Zelestra’s Italian portfolio, which now includes more than 1.4 GW of solar and battery storage projects.

Zelestra Begins Italian Operations With Puglia Solar Plant

Ginosa, Italy, became the starting point for Zelestra’s Italian power generation strategy as the company officially opened its first fully operational solar plant in the country.

The inauguration in Puglia brought together local officials, energy stakeholders and company leadership, including Deputy Mayor of Ginosa Domenico Gigante, President of the Apulian Production District “La Nuova Energia” Beppe Bratta, and Zelestra Italia CEO Eliano Russo.

The 6.5 MWdc agrivoltaic plant will produce 11.7 GWh of clean electricity each year. That is enough to meet the needs of around 4,000 Italian households. It will also help prevent almost 3,700 tons of CO₂ from entering the atmosphere annually.

For Zelestra, Ginosa is more than a single asset. It is the first project to enter operation within an Italian portfolio that includes more than 1.4 GW of solar and battery energy storage system projects across the country.

“With the Ginosa plant we celebrate the first kWh produced by Zelestra in Italy” said Eliano Russo, CEO of Zelestra Italia. “It is an important milestone that marks the beginning of an industrial journey in the country, built through dialogue with local communities and institutions. We will continue to invest to develop sustainable projects that combine energy production, land protection and local economic growth.”

Agrivoltaics Tie Energy Production To Land Protection

The Ginosa plant was developed in line with the National Guidelines of Italy’s Ministry of the Environment and Energy Security. Its design allows solar generation and agriculture to coexist on the same site.

Solar modules have been elevated above the ground so farming can continue beneath them. The structure is intended to protect agricultural productivity while creating a new clean energy asset for the region.

Zelestra said it adopted solutions with low environmental and landscape impact. These include maintaining agricultural production, protecting biodiversity and using perimeter tree strips to shield the area. The project also includes an environmental monitoring plan covering soil, water, air, noise and biodiversity. Monitoring was active before construction, continued during the build, and will remain in place after completion.

That approach is increasingly relevant for European developers. As demand for renewable energy grows, land use has become a sharper governance issue. Agrivoltaic projects can help address that pressure by reducing conflict between clean power expansion and agricultural preservation.

Construction of the Ginosa plant created more than 50 jobs. Altenia, part of Terna Energy Solutions Group, acted as the EPC contractor.

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Ten-Year PPA Supports Broader Italian Growth

The project forms part of a wider strategic collaboration between Zelestra and BKW Energy. The partnership is backed by a ten-year power purchase agreement covering the Ginosa plant and the Bellomo agrivoltaic project in Modica, Sicily.

Bellomo has an installed capacity of 9.5 MWdc. Together, the two projects point to Zelestra’s focus on long-term contracted renewable power in Italy.

For corporate buyers and energy investors, the PPA structure matters. It offers revenue visibility for developers while giving offtakers access to renewable electricity over a defined period. In a market shaped by energy security concerns, grid constraints and climate targets, such agreements are becoming central to project bankability.

Italy has also placed growing emphasis on renewable deployment as part of its broader energy transition. Projects that combine local engagement, agricultural continuity and contracted power sales may gain strategic importance as the country works to expand clean energy capacity.

Energy Academy Links Infrastructure To Local Skills

Zelestra also used the Ginosa opening to launch its Zelestra FutureS initiative in Italy. The company announced the Zelestra Energy Academy at the Civic Library of Ginosa, with a focus on local students.

The academy is designed to promote knowledge of sustainability, energy and the ecological transition. It also aims to help young people build skills linked to the next phase of the energy sector.

“The Zelestra Energy Academy represents a pillar of our sustainability strategy” said Giorgia Epicoco, Director of Institutional Affairs and Public Policies, Zelestra Italia. “Combining the development of energy infrastructure with a concrete commitment to training means creating lasting value for communities and contributing to the development of key skills for the energy transition.”

For executives and investors, the Ginosa project shows how renewable infrastructure is becoming more embedded in local development strategy. The plant brings clean power, contracted revenues and construction jobs. However, it also reflects a broader test for the sector: whether energy projects can scale while maintaining public trust, protecting land use and building skills in host communities.

In Puglia, Zelestra has placed its first Italian stake in the ground. The significance now lies in how quickly that model can move across the country’s wider solar and storage pipeline.

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