Photovoltaic, Fantoni builds the largest industrial plant in Italy

The steel and ceramic industries, certainly, the chemical and paper industries. But among the most energy-intensive production sectors - and therefore affected by the high costs of gas and electricity - there is also the panel industry, which has long been denouncing the risk of a loss of competitiveness compared to foreign producers.

Also to reduce - albeit to a small extent - energy consumption and costs, the Fantoni group of Osoppo (Udine), specialized in the production of panels, office furniture, partition walls and equipped walls, has long since started a series of investments aimed at improving the efficiency and energy independence of its production plants. The latest in chronological order is the new photovoltaic system built in partnership with Nyox, whose construction work began in recent days.

With 27,614 panels installed on 130,000 square meters of the plant's roofs, once fully operational it will be the largest industrial photovoltaic system in Italy and among the largest in Europe, with a surface area equal to that of 18 football fields. It will be able to produce 13.37 GWh of energy per year, enough to meet the consumption needs of 4,900 families, avoiding the release of 4,000 tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, a benefit equal to the absorption of CO2 by 130,000 trees.

"This intervention, which required an investment of approximately 14 million euros, is first and foremost part of our group's commitment to reducing the environmental impact of our industrial activities and which does not only concern energy, but also water savings, the use of materials, the quality and efficiency of production processes - explains President Paolo Fantoni -. In addition to energy supply, for example, we have also invested in the production cycle: already today 100% of chipboard panels and 50% of MDF are produced with recycled wood".

There is also an interest in reducing energy costs, which is now a priority for the panel sector: «With these constant investments, we also aim to free ourselves from the fluctuations of the energy market, which are significant and often speculative as we have witnessed in recent years», adds Fantoni.