ESSE Builds First Photovoltaic Manufacturing Facility in Italy

Enel Green Power & Sharp Solar Energy (ESSE), a joint venture between Enel Green Power and Sharp, has completed the construction of 5 MW ground-mounted photovoltaic plant located at Serragiumenta, in the province of Cosenza, Calabria, Italy.

The new photovoltaic facility is constructed with Sharp solar modules. At full capacity, the facility can produce nearly 7.5 million kWh annually, equivalent to the power demands of nearly 2,800 homes. With this capacity, the facility will eradicate about 5,800 tons of CO₂ emissions and save nearly 634 TOE in fossil fuels.

ESSE plans to build solar photovoltaic systems with a capacity of over 500 MW across Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) region by utilizing thin-film solar panels produced at the plant, which is being constructed in Catania. STMicroelectronics, Sharp and Enel Green Power are equal shareholders of the plant.

The Catania facility will initially produce photovoltaic panels with 160 MW total capacity per annum. It will then be expanded to an annual production capacity of 480 MW in the coming years, marking it as the one of the largest photovoltaic panel production facility in Europe and the largest plant in Italy