The Vatican will construct a renewable energy plant to power the Holy See within two years. The agrivoltaic facility, combining solar panels with agriculture, is expected to have a capacity of 80 to 90 megawatts, positioning it among Italy’s largest installations of its type.
Solar panels raised above crops
Solar panels will be mounted several meters above the ground, allowing crops to grow beneath them. The design aims to reduce water evaporation and shield plants from harsh weather. The project will occupy the Vatican-owned Santa Maria di Galeria estate on Rome’s northwestern outskirts, a site that has housed Vatican Radio’s transmission facilities since the 1950s.
A joint Italian-Vatican commission convened earlier this month to initiate the project after Italy ratified a 2025 bilateral agreement for the site’s development. While officials have not disclosed public details about the plant’s cost, capacity, or timeline, sources indicated permitting and construction could take 18 to 24 months.
Powering the Vatican—and beyond
The facility is designed to supply power to Vatican Radio’s transmission station and help make Vatican City State fully energy self-sufficient. The power could also be used by Holy See-linked properties, including Rome’s Bambino Gesù hospital. Any surplus electricity would be made available to Italy, though the Vatican will not benefit from financial incentives available to Italian households and businesses for solar installations.
Tracker-mounted solar panels would cover about 200 hectares—nearly half of the 450-hectare Santa Maria di Galeria site.
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The project was a priority for the late Pope Francis, the first pontiff to accept the scientific consensus on climate change. The bilateral agreement between Italy and Vatican City has extended to the agrivoltaic project the special status already granted to Vatican Radio facilities, including exemptions from Italian taxes and public charges.
Italy’s ratification law states that the implementation of the agreement must not result in any new or additional burden on public finances. Contracts for the work will be put out to tender in the coming weeks.
The Vatican previously experimented with solar power in 2008. Under Pope Benedict XVI, German companies donated 2,400 photovoltaic panels installed on the Nervi Hall, which hosts papal audiences and concerts. This new initiative marks a significantly larger investment in renewable energy.
Vatican City, headquarters of the global Catholic Church and home to St. Peter’s Basilica, is the world’s smallest country, covering 108 acres. The Santa Maria di Galeria site spans roughly 450 hectares on Rome’s northwestern outskirts.
Those involved in the project did not respond to requests for additional details.
