[Job Story] Bobcat Fleet Constructing Italy’s Largest Agro-Photovoltaic Plants

A large fleet of Bobcat machines, including skid-steer loaders, telehandlers and mini-excavators, is engaged in the construction of one of Italy’s largest agro-photovoltaic plants, located in Loreo, in the province of Rovigo, in the heart of the Po Delta.

The project showcases an advanced agrivoltaic system that combines solar energy production with ongoing agricultural use of the land. Photovoltaic panels are mounted on elevated structures, roughly two metres above ground level, allowing farm machinery to pass underneath and crops to be cultivated as usual.

The panels are arranged in “sail-like” configurations, each composed of 52, 78, or 104 modules, and installed on ground-driven poles. An east-west tracking system, guided by on-site sensors, adjusts the orientation of the sails throughout the day to maximise solar exposure. The design aims to balance energy yield with agricultural productivity on the same footprint.

To tackle the complex operational phases of the construction site and the unstable terrain,  a dozen Bobcat machines were chosen: compact track loaders (T76, T86, T300), telehandlers (TL30.70 and TL43.80HF), mini-excavators (E55, E60), and the L85 articulated wheel loader. The solution was proposed by local Bobcat dealer DMO, represented by Maurizio Mantovani.

The project is being developed by several companies, including Oresi Italia, part of the Romanian group Oresi Energy SRL. The group specialises in the installation, maintenance, and repair of electrical systems, as well as civil engineering works.

“For this type of intensive work, we needed powerful, agile and efficient equipment. We were happy to hear from the companies we work with about choosing Bobcat. (…) The equipment has been operating non-stop for over a year, in all types of weather conditions. We’re just coming off a rainy winter that forced the equipment to work even more intensively. Now, some of the equipment is almost unrecognisable due to the amount of mud covering it, but it performs as well as it did on day one. Their power is at its peak, and thanks to this, the work is proceeding at a rapid pace: truly impressive reliability.”

Explained Vasile Bogdan Roba, Oresi Italia manager.

The construction site involved numerous operational phases:

The first phase involved the excavation of the ducts for the low-voltage cables, performed by Bobcat E60 mini-excavators. These cables electrically connect the individual photovoltaic panels to an inverter, which converts the energy generated in direct current (DC) into medium-voltage alternating current (AC). This AC will then be transported to the nearest power plant, where it will be fed into the electricity distribution grid for domestic and industrial use.

With the ground cleared and the excavations completed, one of the most intensive phases of the construction site began: material handling. Bobcat T76 and T86 compact track loaders, equipped with forks, are used daily to load, unload, and transport the supplies needed to build the system. Every day, dozens of trucks arrive at the construction site loaded with components for the photovoltaic system installation: solar panels, support poles, torque tubes, motors, gearboxes, nuts and bolts (millions of them), electrical cables, and other structural and electronic components. Bobcat loaders unload the materials and transport them to the temporary storage area, where each component is catalogued, sorted by type, and arranged according to its intended operational phase. Then, following the progress of the construction site, the same vehicles distribute the materials to the various assembly teams.

Once the entire supporting structure of the solar panel has been assembled on the ground, the delicate lifting process begins. This operation uses the Bobcat TL30.70 telehandler, a robust and versatile machine designed to handle loads exceeding one tonne with precision and safety, even on uneven terrain. The TL30.70 lifts the entire supporting structure two metres high, allowing it to be attached to the support posts anchored to the ground.  In addition to this essential function, the TL30.70 is used to distribute pallets containing photovoltaic panels near the pre-installed structures, ready for installation.

Roba also acknowledged the collaboration with DMO, highlighting their availability and technical support as useful elements in keeping the worksite running smoothly.

[Job Story] Bobcat Fleet Constructing Italy’s Largest Agro-Photovoltaic Plants published on The HeavyQuip Magazine.