BayWa r.e. bags EUR 6.5m in EU funding for agri-PV projects

German renewables company BayWa r.e. said on Thursday that it has secured EUR 6.5 million (USD 6.9m) in funding from the European Union’s LIFE Programme to develop six agri-voltaic projects in five countries by 2027.

The LIFE programme is the EU’s funding instrument aimed supporting the bloc’s environmental, climate action and energy objectives via co-financing of projects. BayWa r.e.’s projects are at the intersection of all three target areas, with the company saying that it aims to develop the commercial viability of agri-voltaics and to demonstrate its benefits as an effective climate adaptation strategy for fruit and crop cultivation in Europe.

BayWa r.e. will carry out three of the six projects in France, Spain and the Netherlands as part of the EU LIFE ADAPT-PV programme. These projects will integrate solar photovoltaic (PV) systems with fruit cultivation, with the aim of increasing the resistance of “fruitvoltaic” schemes to climate change by providing a combination of crop protection and solar power generation.

The next trio of projects will be conducted under the EU LIFE LEAD-PV programme and implemented in Germany, Spain and Italy. Here, the goal will be to examine ways to scale up agri-PV alongside arable crops such as summer and winter wheat or soya, BayWa r.e. said.

The project in Spain will combine PV with an almond grove for the first time in the country. The one in Germany will be the first project researching agri-PV and traditional crops at a large scale.

“With these six projects, across five countries, we’re pushing innovative Agri-PV applications into the marketplace. Only if the farming, environment, and energy sectors work hand in hand, can we successfully adapt to to climate change while also minimising carbon footprint in farming processes,” said Stephan Schindele, Head of Product Management Agri-PV at BayWa r.e.

(EUR 1.0 = USD 1.056)

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