Acesur, a Seville-based olive oil producer, has started construction of a 3.65 MW agrivoltaic project in Vilches, in the Spanish province of Jaén. The project will integrate solar power generation into an existing, fully productive olive grove adjacent to the company’s packaging plant.

Granada-based renewable energy company Greening is developing the project, which will combine industrial self-consumption with agricultural production while preserving all existing olive trees and maintaining cultivation.

According to the company, following several phases of system performance validation, the aim is now to scale up the technology for industrial use. All electricity generated by the installation will be used to power Acesur’s packaging plant.

The technology was developed in several stages, beginning with theoretical bioclimatic simulations, followed by laboratory testing under controlled climatic and greenhouse conditions. A prototype was then installed in a traditional rain-fed olive grove.

According to a company representative, results from two consecutive harvests have demonstrated that solar power generation and olive cultivation can coexist successfully. The installation reportedly improved local microclimatic conditions by reducing soil temperatures, retaining moisture and enhancing crop yields.

The representative said the Vilches project will be the world’s first industrial-scale “olivovoltaic” installation.

The 3.65 MW installation will feature more than 5,150 solar modules mounted on metal structures standing more than 4 meters above the ground, supported by steel pillars anchored in concrete foundations. The elevated configuration will allow agricultural machinery to operate beneath the panels, enabling conventional farming activities, including olive harvesting, to continue.

The project will also include a 3 MWh battery energy storage system (BESS) to optimize energy use and improve operational flexibility.

Spain’s Institute for Energy Diversification and Saving (IDAE) has awarded the project a €2.8 million grant to support the integration of renewable energy technologies into industrial operations..