For FS Energy, new solar plants do more than cut emissions; they start a shift in how Italy’s railways source and secure the power that keeps trains moving.

This is reported by the railway transport news portal Railway Supply.

FS Energy Expands Solar Capacity for Italy’s Rail Network
Photo: www.railwaypro.com

How FS Energy Scales Solar Power for Trains?

In Foggia, FS Energy runs a solar plant with more than 6,600 panels and 3 MWp of capacity. It already generates 1.5 GWh—about 80 Lecce–Milan trips, or nearly 75,000 train-kilometres, as reported by Railway Pro.

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Engineers connect the Foggia array to a railway substation and convert the high-voltage flow. They then feed it straight into traction equipment, so the power stays close to where trains actually move.

Together with the earlier Padua plant, the Foggia site can deliver up to 50 MWh a day. Annual generation from the two locations should reach about 11 GWh when both operate at full potential.

Why FS Energy’s Solar Strategy Matters for Rail?

Inside the FS Group, managers at FS Energy know the company uses about 2% of Italy’s electricity. So they frame the solar rollout as hard risk management, not just branding, as outlined in FS Group’s energy transition plan. 

They plan to install more than 1 GW of renewable capacity by 2029 and around 2 GW by 2034. That should yield roughly 1.5 TWh and then 3 TWh of solar electricity each year.

Those volumes equal 19% of electricity needs and then 40% over time; as one planner put it, “we can see the cliff coming.” The same proportions appear in an FS Group press release. 

Project teams rely on full Building Information Modelling for the Foggia site and use the digital model to coordinate designs and shorten delivery times. They also limit surprises by testing layouts virtually before construction.

At the same time, FS Energy prepares additional photovoltaic sites in Puglia. The company reuses methods from Foggia and Padua, so each new field arrives faster and with fewer design revisions.

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