en.Wedoany.com Reported - The European battery energy storage system (BESS) market has seen several new developments recently: German independent power producer Encavis has made its first foray into Italy's utility-scale storage sector; Swedish renewable energy developer OX2 has acquired two Italian storage projects from Hanwha; and system integrator Sunotec has commissioned a 150MW/379MWh battery energy storage system in Bulgaria.
Encavis has acquired its first utility-scale standalone battery energy storage system (BESS) in Italy. The facility, located in Ceprano, south of Rome in the Lazio region, is expected to become operational in 2028 with an installed capacity of approximately 65MW/260MWh. Encavis purchased the project from Italian developer ReFeel New Energy, which is backed by Gresham House Europe. Encavis CEO Mario Schirru stated that through the Ceprano project, the company is delivering its first large-scale battery storage project in Italy, adding flexibility to its existing solar portfolio.
Encavis currently owns a solar portfolio of approximately 420MW in Italy. Its Chief of Staff, Jan-Philip Kock, told industry media PV Tech earlier this year that Italy is Europe's most attractive standalone solar market in the context of many mature markets today requiring increased standalone or co-located storage capacity. Schirru added that, looking ahead, storage will play a central role in the efficient integration of renewable energy into the energy system and in unlocking additional value creation potential.
Last October, Italian transmission system operator Terna completed its first storage capacity auction, the Meccanismo di Approvvigionamento di Capacità di Stoccaggio Elettrico (MACSE). The auction procured 10GWh of capacity at prices described as "highly competitive," with all capacity contracted in the country's south.
BESS system integrator Sunotec has commissioned a 150MW/379MWh battery energy storage system in Bulgaria, marking its second facility commissioned in the country. The project, located near Brusartsi in northwestern Bulgaria, is part of an operational partnership between Sunotec and optimization and energy trading company GEN-I, building on the 126MWh BESS project in Byala Slatina that Sunotec commissioned last month.
GEN-I provides commercial management for both operational assets, connecting them to power and balancing markets and optimizing performance. Sunotec stated that the two companies plan to commission nine additional BESS projects in Bulgaria over the next 12 months, with a total capacity of 95MW/782MWh.
Bulgaria has been a key market for Sunotec following a strategic agreement last year with Chinese PV inverter and BESS manufacturer Sungrow. The 2.4GWh agreement will see Sungrow supply BESS to Sunotec's projects across Europe, including Bulgaria. Some of Sunotec's assets in the country have been included in a new government support scheme valued at BGN 1.15 billion (USD 670 million).
OX2 has acquired two standalone storage projects in southern Italy from Hanwha's Hanwha Energy Europe. The two projects, located in the Puglia region, each have a capacity of 100MW/200MWh. OX2 currently has 1.5GW of clean energy projects under development in Italy, spanning solar PV, BESS, and onshore wind projects.
Paolo Tusa, Country Manager for OX2 Italy, stated that this acquisition is a significant addition to its storage portfolio in Italy, marking another step in OX2's continued expansion across onshore wind, solar, and storage technologies in the Italian market. In addition to its European operations, OX2 is also developing a substantial portfolio of renewable energy and storage assets in Australia. In May this year, the company completed a 135MW/300MWh solar-plus-storage project in New South Wales.
