Italy Offers 3.3 GW Wind & Solar in New RE Tender

Italy’s state energy management agency Gestore dei Servizi Energetici (GSE) has launched the country’s seventh renewable energy tender that is expected to award 3,312MW of solar photovoltaic and wind capacity.

The tender was opened last week and the latest contracting process includes unallocated capacity in previous six unsubscribed auctions, totalling 2,485 MW. Italy’s sixth tender ended up undersubscribed, with 593.3 MW of awards. Wind and solar got almost equal shares, securing nearly 296 MW and 298 MW, respectively. Proposals will be accepted by October 30, 2021, with winners expected to be announced by January 28, 2022.

A total of 4,825 MW of capacity has been made available for the construction of renewable power plants, as well as for the refurbishment of existing wind and hydropower facilities. Some 3,572 MW of the overall capacity is reserved for wind and solar photovoltaic (PV) projects, of which 3,312 MW will be awarded in an auction and the rest in a separate registration. Some 124 MW will be available to hydro projects.

After adding some 174 MW in the first quarter of 2020, installed solar PV capacity in Italy reached 21.8 GW at the end of the quarter, according to media reports, which was part of a group of trade associations that recently asked the government of the country to overcome bottlenecks in the granting of permits for renewable energy projects.

Italy’s transmission network operator Terna has stated that it plans to invest 18.1 billion euros to strengthen the country’s network and support the integration of new renewable energy plants. The company will try to integrate the solar and wind energy of southern Italy with the centers of consumption in the north.

Recently, ReneSola Power and Emeren have partnered in the country’s solar sector, while Matrix Renewables stated earlier this month that it will partner with asset management company Horus Green Energy Investment to develop nearly 420 MW of solar energy in the Sicily and Lazio regions.