Project and operations updateRenewables and storage
Leonardo says 64% of its Italian on-site renewable capacity is operating
The aerospace and defence group reported progress on a 43 MW self-generation programme across 20 Italian sites and completion of a separate LED lighting upgrade.
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- First published on EPC Feed
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Leonardo said on October 22 that 64% of the capacity in its Italian renewable-energy self-generation programme was operational, with remaining installations scheduled for completion by the end of 2026. The programme covers 20 company sites and has approximately 43 MW of planned installed capacity. When fully operational, Leonardo expects it to generate around 55 GWh a year, meeting more than 10% of the group’s annual energy consumption in Italy and avoiding about 13,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions annually, according to the company.
The announcement also reported completion of the company’s LED Lighting Full Potential programme. Leonardo said approximately 125,000 high-efficiency lighting fixtures had been installed at an investment of about €31 million. It expects the upgrade to reduce energy use by an amount equivalent to 7% of its consumption in Italy and cut annual CO₂ emissions by roughly 10,000 tonnes. These are expected effects stated by the company, not independently verified operating results in the announcement.
One of the photovoltaic installations highlighted is at Leonardo’s Nola site near Naples. The company said the plant has 9.8 MW capacity, includes more than 24,000 panels across roughly 80,000 square metres and supplies about 24% of the site’s energy requirements. Leonardo compared that energy use with the annual consumption of more than 4,000 households. The release described the broader programme as implemented by Leonardo Global Solutions with energy-sector operators, and as part of the group’s sustainability and transition planning.
The October update sits within a multi-year programme. In July 2022, Leonardo and Enel X announced agreements to begin a renewable self-generation plan covering roughly 10% of the annual energy needs of the sites involved. Leonardo’s 2025 reporting later described the contracted photovoltaic plants as expected to deliver approximately 55 GWh per year and avoid around 13,000 tonnes of CO₂-equivalent emissions once fully operational. The new October figures therefore mark an execution update to an existing industrial energy effort; the 64% operational share refers to installed programme capacity, not to the share of Leonardo’s total Italian power use already supplied by the system.
That distinction is important when comparing self-generation with purchased electricity. Leonardo’s 2025 report said 86% of the electricity it purchased across the group was covered by Guarantees of Origin certifying renewable origin. Purchased renewable electricity and on-site generation are separate measures, so the 86% group-wide figure should not be added to the 10%-plus Italian self-generation target. The projects address both supply and energy efficiency: solar arrays produce electricity at industrial sites, while lighting changes reduce demand.
For industrial infrastructure planners, the reported scale highlights the coordination involved in deploying power assets across a dispersed manufacturing footprint. The company says its new installations are intended to help address expected growth in energy demand under its industrial plan and strengthen security of supply. It also cited an international extension of similar projects at sites in Poland, the United Kingdom and the United States, without giving comparable capacity figures for those locations. The update provides no grid-connection schedule by site, contractor list, investment breakdown for the solar programme or revised completion milestones beyond year-end 2026, leaving those details undisclosed.
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