PVTIME – At approximately 10pm local time on 8 September, a fire broke out at an under-construction energy park in Viddalba, Sardinia, Italy, destroying around 5,000 solar panels. Local industry associations confirmed the blaze was deliberate arson, a detail later verified by the regional fire department.
Fire officials said the fire started at around 4 a.m., burning fiercely and requiring several hours of intensive firefighting to bring it under control. According to media reports, security cameras clearly recorded two individuals exiting a vehicle and walking straight to the solar panels, where they set them on fire. Local police have launched an investigation and are working to track down the suspected arsonists.
The affected energy park is owned by Avru S.r.l., a local limited company. At the time of writing, the firm had not yet issued a public statement regarding the incident. The Sardinian Renewable Energy Association (Saper) and the Italian Federation of Mediators for Renewable Energy (Fimsre) have strongly condemned the attack, describing it as the latest in a series of violent acts targeting renewable energy infrastructure in Sardinia.
The two associations explained in a joint statement that anti-renewable energy campaigns driven by false and biased media exploit public fears of invasion and exploitation that only exist in news headlines. They added that powerful economic interests linked to natural gas lie behind this narrative, with the aim of preserving the status quo and preventing Sardinia from developing in line with the rest of Italy and Europe.
Saper and Fimsre expressed regret for the material losses caused by the fire, but said they are more concerned about the risk of copycat attacks. They have issued an urgent appeal for regional and national governments to intervene quickly and call for effective measures to end the vicious cycle of escalating violence. They said that this is necessary to safeguard the healthy development of Sardinia’s renewable energy sector and ensure the safety of related infrastructure and workers.
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