The largest photovoltaic repowering project in Italy
EF Solare Italia adds 17 MWp to the Alfonsine 1 plant in Emilia-Romagna
EF Solare Italia has successfully completed the most significant repowering project within its strategic plan—and the largest of its kind to date nationwide. The intervention increased the capacity of the Alfonsine 1 photovoltaic plant, located in the Province of Ravenna, by 17 MWp. Thanks to the repowering, the plant now reaches a total capacity of 52 MWp and will be able to generate and feed over 65 GWh per year of renewable energy into the grid, making a tangible contribution to the energy transition and avoiding approximately 14,000 tonnes of CO₂ emissions annually.
The Alfonsine plant
With the energization of the repowered section, Alfonsine 1—already one of the Group’s largest installations in Italy—now reaches a total capacity of 52 MWp, reinforcing EF Solare’s ongoing commitment to enhancing the efficiency and sustainability of its photovoltaic fleet. The project significantly increases the plant’s production capacity and strengthens its role within Italy’s clean energy landscape.
A central project within the revamping & repowering plan
The Alfonsine project represents the most substantial intervention within EF Solare’s asset modernization plan, which foresees over 490 MW of revamping activities and more than 140 MW of additional repowering capacity, all without increasing the area occupied by the plants.
Among the projects completed to date, particularly noteworthy in the same region is the full revamping of the Alfonsine 2 plant (25 MW), where a further 11 MW power increase is now being finalized, again without expanding the occupied surface. Significant progress has also been made in Priolo, Sicily, where the plant—fully revamped in 2022—will double its peak capacity through repowering, reaching over 30 MW. Finally, it is worth highlighting the conversion from fixed-tilt to tracker technology of more than 110 MW of assets, including the Troia and Deliceto plants in Apulia, totaling nearly 26 MW. These are the main initiatives within the program, which have so far generated almost 43 MW of newly installed capacity, making a substantial contribution to the growth of renewable energy production.
Technical features of the project
The repowering of Alfonsine 1 was made possible by the prior revamping works completed in 2023, which freed the areas needed for the new installation. The project involved the installation of over 38,000 high-efficiency photovoltaic modules, wired in strings of 18 modules, for a total of 17 MW of additional capacity.
Eleven preassembled repowering cabins—recovered from other plants undergoing revamping—were also installed. The project included upgrades to the substation, which is now equipped with a new transformer and a fully renewed medium-voltage switchgear. All shelters underwent a complete retrofit at the supplier’s facility, in line with Terna Grid Code requirements.
Main challanges
The project required particularly meticulous management due to the complexity of the construction site. Logistics were among the main challenges, involving the sequential movement of shelters across multiple sites to allow for their retrofit.
Handling more than 38,000 modules within a plant that remained largely operational demanded precise and well-coordinated execution. The works unfolded in two phases: the first, from April to November 2024, focused on module installation; the second, from November 2024 to May 2025, involved the installation of the cabins, medium-voltage backbones, and the full upgrade of the substation.
“At the end of such a long and complex journey, it is important to acknowledge how all the colleagues involved—from Asset Management to Procurement, from Project Management to Engineering, from Monitoring to our internal O&M team—faced technical and organizational challenges well beyond standard practice. This project has broadened our corporate know-how across the board and strengthened the expertise of the entire team,” commented Michele Canton, Head of Engineering & Construction at EF Solare Italia and project lead.