Italy will add one of its most significant energy storage projects of the decade. Octopus Energy Generation and ZE Energy have closed an agreement to develop a large-scale battery in the Campania region, an initiative that seeks to strengthen the integration of renewable energies and support the country's ambitious decarbonization goals.
The project, called Sessa Aurunca , is in its final stages of development and is scheduled to begin construction this summer. It is expected to become operational in 2028 and, once completed, will become the largest independent battery in south-central Italy.
The facility will have a capacity of 98.5 MW and 895 MWh , enough to store surplus renewable energy during peak solar and wind production hours and return it to the grid when electricity demand increases.
A strategic node for the Italian network
The battery will be able to cover the daily consumption of approximately 130,000 Italian households and will be connected to a substation that already receives power from various electric generators.
The goal is to transform the site into an energy hub capable of improving grid stability, reducing renewable energy spills, and facilitating greater penetration of clean technologies into the electrical system.
The initiative also received support from the MACSE program, the mechanism promoted by the grid operator Terna to encourage energy storage in Italy. Thanks to this award, the project secured a 15-year fixed-income contract and accounted for 42% of the allocated capacity in the region .
Octopus deepens its offensive in the Italian market
The investment will be made through the Sky fund (ORI SCSp) , managed by Octopus Energy Generation, and adds to a series of operations that the company has been carrying out in the Italian market.
Currently, the manager has a portfolio of projects exceeding 2 GW , including storage systems, solar parks, wind farms and photovoltaic installations for the commercial and industrial segment.
For ZE Energy, the operation represents a decisive step in its expansion within Italy, one of the most competitive and attractive markets for the development of energy storage in Europe.
Energy storage is gaining prominence in the energy transition
The investment in Sessa Aurunca comes at a crucial time for the Italian electricity sector. The country has set a goal of generating 70% of its electricity from renewable sources by 2030 , supported by a storage infrastructure reaching 10 GW of capacity .
In this context, batteries appear as an indispensable tool for managing the growing solar and wind power generation.
“Renewable energy is currently the cheapest way to produce electricity, but much of that energy is wasted when it cannot be used at the moment it is generated. Batteries solve that problem, storing any surplus and releasing it when the grid needs it,” explained Alex Brierley , co-director of the fund management team at Octopus Energy Generation.
ZE Energy emphasized that storage will be crucial for solar energy to continue expanding on a large scale.
“Italy is a strategic market for achieving our 2030 goals. Our vision is clear: solar energy can only grow sustainably if it is combined with storage solutions capable of better integrating it into the grid and increasing its value,” said Nicolas Wolff , CEO of the company.
A signal for the European market
Beyond its dimensions, the project sends a powerful signal to the market: batteries are ceasing to be an add-on and are becoming critical infrastructure for modern electrical systems .
With almost 900 MWh of capacity , regulatory backing and a long-term contract, Sessa Aurunca reflects how Europe is accelerating investments in storage to support renewable growth and prevent the clean energy generated from going to waste.