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Italy Authorizes 110 MW BESS Projects in Sardinia
Italy's Ministry of Environment and Energy Security has approved two 55 MW battery energy storage systems (BESS) in Ittiri, Sardinia. These projects, totaling 110 MW, received authorization despite local and regional opposition. The approvals are part of a broader series of authorizations amounting to 2.3 GW in September. This highlights ongoing progress in energy storage, even with local resistance.
Italy's Ministry of Environment and Energy Security (MASE) has recently issued two separate authorizations for the construction of battery energy storage systems (BESS) in Sardinia. These projects, each with a capacity of 55 MW and located in the municipality of Ittiri, represent a total storage capacity of 110 MW. The authorizations were granted to the London-based fund Bluefield Partners.
Notably, these approvals were secured despite significant opposition. Both the municipality of Ittiri and regional landscape protection offices had issued negative opinions. Nevertheless, the ministry deemed these objections to be overcome and gave the green light for the projects, named "Ittiri A" and "Ittiri B." Each system will comprise 48 containerized units, including batteries and inverters, with a capacity of 1,255 kW per unit and a four-hour storage duration. The estimated construction time for these identical installations is 27 and 26 months, respectively.
The debate surrounding the energy transition and energy storage remains a sensitive issue in Ittiri. Last July, the regional government denied approval for a much larger 470.4 MW / 1,408 MWh BESS project proposed by Thiesi Solar, an Enerside subsidiary. This project was deemed incompatible with the area's agricultural vocation and territorial governance model at the time.
With these recent authorizations, the total capacity approved by MASE since the beginning of September now stands at 2,374 MW. This includes previous approvals of 907.4 MW on September 22nd, 753.4 MW on September 11th, and 603 MW on September 7th. These developments underscore the progress in the deployment of energy storage in Italy, even when local interests and national energy objectives are at odds.
Source: ESS News.
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