Solar Steel Wins 97-MW Tracker Contract for Italian Island Projects

• Solar Steel will supply 2,800 trackers and 250 fixed structures—totalling 97 MW—to two rugged island PV sites in Italy, marking another milestone in its European expansion.

Solar Steel has clinched a 97-megawatt supply agreement that will bring its latest single-axis trackers and fixed-tilt structures to two photovoltaic plants on Italy’s sun-drenched southwestern islands. The deal, announced Tuesday, underscores the Spanish manufacturer’s growing foothold in Europe’s most challenging solar markets, where rugged topography and strict design codes demand made-to-measure hardware.

Under the contract, the company will deliver more than 2,800 one-in-portrait (1P) next-generation trackers alongside 250-plus fixed racking systems engineered to anchor firmly on steep, uneven ground. While Solar Steel did not disclose project owners or precise locations, a spokesperson confirmed that each site required bespoke configurations to maximize yield without extensive earthworks—an approach that reduces both civil costs and environmental disturbance.

Gonvarri Solar Steel’s multi-product platform was pivotal, according to the firm. By combining modular tracker rows with adaptable fixed frames, engineers could tailor the array layouts to shifting slopes, variable soils and high wind zones common across Sardinia and Sicily. “Flexibility was non-negotiable,” the spokesperson said. “Our design team conducted granular topographical scans before prescribing a mixed solution that maintains row spacing, ensures uniform backtracking and preserves the sites’ natural contours.”

Beyond the mechanical brief, Solar Steel will provide life-cycle support that extends from logistics planning through commissioning and O&M training—a cradle-to-grave service model the company says accelerates construction schedules and lifts long-term plant availability. Delivery is expected to begin in the third quarter, with both projects slated for grid connection by late 2026.

Industry analysts view the order as another data point in Italy’s resurgence as a utility-scale solar destination. After years of fragmented growth, the country is targeting 70 GW of installed PV by 2030, more than triple today’s capacity, to hit EU climate targets and offset volatile gas imports. Island regions, blessed with high irradiance but limited land, are increasingly leaning on tracking systems that squeeze out extra kilowatt-hours per square meter.

For Solar Steel, the contract follows recent wins in Greece, Portugal and France, collectively pushing its global tracker footprint past 16 GW. The company hinted at additional Italian announcements this summer as developers rush to submit projects ahead of new permitting deadlines.