French power producer ZE Energy has acquired a 200 MW / 1 GWh-plus battery energy storage system (BESS) in Troia, Apulia, southern Italy.
The Elena project was acquired from UK-based solar and storage developer Aura Power and will have a storage duration of more than six hours. ZE Energy’s press notes indicated a “more than 1 GWh” capacity while Aura Power said 1 GWh. A six hour duration at 200 MW would imply a 1.2 GWh storage base, though this was not confirmed.
The acquisition increases ZE Energy’s Italian standalone BESS portfolio to approximately 300 MW, including the 98.5 MW / 895 MWh Sessa Aurunca project, which is being co-developed with Octopus Energy Generation.
ZE Energy said the Elena project is fully permitted, construction-ready and has secured a connection to Italy’s 380 kV transmission network in Troia.
“With this 200 MW standalone battery energy storage system (BESS) project, Elena, we are reaching a new milestone in the development of our storage platform in Italy. Following on from Sessa Aurunca, this second asset confirms our ability to deliver innovative projects in a rapidly growing market,” said Nicolas Wolff, chairman of ZE Energy.
ZE Energy is targeting 1.5 GW of installed capacity by 2030, with the strategy aimed around developing, acquiring, and building storage assets in France, Italy and Germany.
The sale of the Elena project from Aura Power marks the company’s third BESS sale in Italy in the past year.
Aura Power merged with Verdant Energy in August and has expanded its strategy beyond project development by transitioning into an independent power producer (IPP) in the UK, backed by shareholder CVC DIF.
“We are very pleased to have completed this transaction with ZE Energy. The successful development and sale of Troia is a testament to the expertise and hard work of our development, transaction, finance, and technical departments and our external partners at Legance and JLL as well as the close collaborative relationship we developed with ZE Energy,” said Peter Sermon, global head of development.
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