Vatican Plans €100 Million Agro-Photovoltaic Plant on the Outskirts of Rome

Vatican City is expected to invest around €100 million in the construction of a renewable energy plant, with the aim of securing the electricity needed by the Holy See within two years.

Reuters, citing sources familiar with the project, reported that the agro-photovoltaic plant will have a capacity of between 80 and 90 megawatts. This would place it among the largest plants of its kind in Italy.

The facility will be built on the Santa Maria di Galeria property, in the northwestern part of Rome’s outskirts. The area, covering around 450 hectares, is owned by the Vatican and has housed the transmission facilities of Vatican Radio since the 1950s.

The first step toward launching the procedures was taken at the beginning of this month, when a joint Italy-Vatican commission convened. The process became possible after Italy ratified the 2025 bilateral agreement, which allows the development of the site.

Sources involved in the talks estimate that construction could take between 18 and 24 months. This period also includes licensing processes and administrative procedures, while contracts for the project are expected to be announced in the coming weeks.

Solar panels will be installed several meters above the ground so that the land can continue to be used for agriculture. The shade they create is expected to limit water evaporation and help protect crops from extreme weather conditions.

The panel system, together with monitoring equipment, will cover around 200 hectares, or almost half of the Santa Maria di Galeria site.

The energy produced will initially be supplied to the transmission facilities of Vatican Radio and will help meet the Vatican’s energy needs. It may also be used by institutions linked to the Holy See, including the Bambino Gesù hospital in Rome.

If production exceeds consumption, the surplus energy will be transferred to the Italian electricity grid.

The Vatican will not benefit from the financial incentive schemes that Italy offers households and businesses for the installation of solar systems.

The project was among Pope Francis’ priorities and has also been approved by Pope Leo XIV. The Italy-Vatican agreement grants the agro-photovoltaic plant a special status, similar to that of Vatican Radio’s facilities, while also providing exemptions from certain Italian public taxes and fees.

The document stipulates that the implementation of the project must not create any new or additional burden on Italy’s public finances.