Casalasco introduces Italy's first agrivoltaic park to promote industrial tomato cultivation

Casalasco S.p.A., Italy's first integrated industrial tomato supply chain, has launched a pilot project for the creation of the first agrivoltaic park for tomato cultivation, in collaboration with the Faculty of Agriculture at the Catholic University of the Sacred Heart of Piacenza. This project, conceived by Casalasco, represents a significant initiative to promote sustainability and improve energy efficiency throughout the entire production chain.

The facility, which involved an investment of approximately 2 million euros, is part of a broader plan of interventions scheduled across the Group's various facilities to support the environment, with a total value of 24.5 million euros. It will cover an area of approximately 2 hectares in an industrial zone, near the Casalasco plant in Fontanellato. The photovoltaic panels will be positioned on metal structures approximately 5 meters high, allowing for the regular execution of agricultural activities underneath. Thanks to software, developed in collaboration with the Catholic University of Piacenza, which will constantly collect and analyze incoming data, the panels will be able to orient themselves to maximize solar energy absorption and ensure the right amount of light for the crops.

The agrivoltaic park will have an annual production capacity of approximately 1600 MWh which, together with the energy produced by the cogeneration plant installed in 2023 within the same Fontanellato site, will be sufficient to cover over 90% of the plant's energy needs. This project represents a step forward towards energy self-sufficiency and the reduction of Casalasco's environmental impact, as the agrivoltaic park will reduce CO2 emissions by 680 tons per year.

The energy produced by the agrivoltaic park will also power Casalasco's new Innovation Center, a Group project currently under construction, also in Fontanellato, in a building adjacent to the office block.

The initiative is not limited to energy benefits but aims to offer a replicable model for all supplying farms. Experimentation on growing tomatoes under solar panels will, in fact, allow for the identification of the most suitable varieties for this type of cultivation and optimize the balance between shade and light, thereby improving the quality and yield of production.

The partnership with the Catholic University of the Sacred Heart of Piacenza, recognized as a leader in agricultural sciences, provides the project with a solid scientific and innovative foundation. The interaction between academic research and industry underscores Casalasco's commitment to promoting sustainable and technologically advanced agriculture.

The construction of the agrivoltaic park will take approximately one year. Upon completion of the work, Casalasco will proceed with evaluating the results obtained to consider the possible application of the technology to larger areas.

“The agrivoltaic park represents another important step towards more sustainable, integrated, and innovative agriculture – stated Costantino Vaia, CEO of the Casalasco Group -. The combination of cultivation and photovoltaic systems offers new opportunities not only to improve energy efficiency and reduce environmental impact, but also to maximize production results. We are confident that this experimental project can provide significant benefits, for Casalasco, but certainly also for the entire tomato supply chain we represent, fostering a more balanced and sustainable development of the sector.”

“Casalasco has chosen to install an advanced agrivoltaic system that ensures maximum flexibility in both plant management and agricultural crops - stated Stefano Amaducci, Full Professor of Agronomy and Herbaceous Crops at the Department of Sustainable Crop Production of theCatholic University of the Sacred Heart of Piacenza and project coordinator-. By using the IT platform and monitoring systems developed over years of research at the Catholic University, we will be able to optimize the agrivoltaic system so that it is an effective tool to support the energy transition and decarbonization of the industrial tomato supply chain, while simultaneously preserving the yield and quality of the agricultural product.”