by MK
An abandoned limestone quarry on the outskirts of Trieste is set to become the site of one of Italy’s most ambitious renewable energy projects for scientific research, as officials on Friday laid the foundation stone for a photovoltaic park designed to power the Elettra Sincrotrone Trieste research center.
The project, known as Green Energy, will transform roughly 10 hectares of the restored Pietra Scoria quarry into a solar power facility equipped with about 13,000 high-efficiency bifacial photovoltaic panels. Once operational, the plant is expected to generate at least 11.6 gigawatt-hours of electricity annually, supplying a significant share of the energy required by Elettra 2.0 and the FERMI free-electron laser.
The ceremony was attended by governor Massimiliano Fedriga and Regional Councilor for Research Alessia Rosolen, alongside representatives of Elettra Sincrotrone Trieste.
From abandoned quarry to research infrastructure
The initiative reflects a broader effort to reduce the environmental and financial costs of operating large scientific facilities, whose electricity consumption has risen sharply in recent years. According to regional officials, soaring energy prices previously forced Elettra to scale back scientific activity, prompting the search for a long-term solution based on energy self-production’s Rather than developing agricultural land, the solar park will occupy a former quarry currently undergoing environmental restoration. The site will also serve as a testing ground for next-generation photovoltaic technologies through advanced monitoring and sensor systems integrated into the installation.
Supporting Elettra 2.0
The Green Energy project complements the ongoing Elettra 2.0 upgrade, the largest modernization of the synchrotron since its inauguration. The research facility is currently in its “dark period,” during which its storage ring is being replaced before scientific operations gradually resume later this year.
Regional legislation approved last year authorized extraordinary funding for the acquisition of the quarry and the development of the photovoltaic plant as part of a joint financing plan involving the Friuli Venezia Giulia Region and Italy’s Ministry of Universities and Research.
Officials described the investment as both an energy project and a strategic effort to strengthen Friuli Venezia Giulia’s position as an international hub for advanced research, with the expectation that sustainable infrastructure will help attract scientists, engineers and high-tech investment to the region.
