Futura Group has secured financing of up to €18.5 million, fully provided by BPER through its Corporate & Investment Banking Division, headed by Marco Mandelli, for the construction of a photovoltaic plant in the Municipality of Porto Torres, Sardinia. The financing was structured as a project finance-based “Green Loan”, with BPER acting as Sole Lender, Mandated Lead Arranger and Agent Bank.
Futura is an independent group that has been operating in Sardinia since 2004. It is active in the development, construction and operation of renewable energy plants powered by solid plant biomass and solar energy, as well as in the circular economy and agricultural sectors. The Group currently employs approximately 200 people in Sardinia.
The plant, owned by Sardinia Solar Energy 2, will be built within an industrial area covering approximately 21 hectares. It will have an installed capacity of around 20 MW and will generate approximately 41 GWh of solar energy each year. This will prevent the emission of more than 21,000 tonnes of CO2 annually, meet the energy requirements of approximately 15,000 households with 100% renewable electricity and reduce the need to import and consume significant quantities of fossil fuels.
The use of bifacial photovoltaic modules mounted on single-axis tracking systems will maximise clean energy generation while minimising land use.
“We are delighted to consolidate our presence in the local area through the construction of this plant and to strengthen our organisation in the Autonomous Region of Sardinia by creating additional employment opportunities,” said Simone Micheletti, Chief Executive Officer of Futura Group. Futura Group developed and built the plant in less than 24 months from the submission of the permit application, working with its contractor, Solar Constructions Srl, under the coordination of the Group’s President, engineer Bruno Fisi, who has more than 30 years of industry experience.
Nicola Porcari, Head of Structured Finance at BPER, added: “At BPER, we pay particular attention to this type of transaction and reaffirm the importance of renewable energy and, more broadly, environmental matters within our strategy of supporting investments designed to promote the development and consolidation of sustainable energy sources, while respecting and enhancing our local communities and entrepreneurs.”