Zelestra, BKW sign tolling agreement for 2 GWh Italian battery
Source：www.ess-news.com
A strategic agreement between Zelestra and BKW paves the way for one of the largest battery storage systems in Europe. Construction will begin in 2027, with commissioning scheduled for 2028.
By Lara Morandotti，Sep 10, 2025
Image: Zelestra
The long-term tolling agreement between Spain’s Zelestra and Switzerland’s BKW paves the way for the construction of what is billed as “one of the most significant battery storage systems in Europe.” This BESS facility, with a capacity of up to 2 GWh, is planned for northern Italy. Construction will begin in 2027 and commissioning is scheduled for 2028.
“The agreement is the first of its kind in Italy regarding the long-term financial management of battery storage,” Zelestra said in its press release.
The transaction is just the latest move in the partnership between BKW and Zelestra, which already has 16 MW of solar projects under construction in Ginosa (Apulia) and Bellomo (Sicily), thanks to ten-year PPAs signed in December 2024.
The tolling agreement introduces a long-term financial management model for electrochemical storage in Italy. Under the agreement, Zelestra will make part of the project’s capacity available to BKW, enabling it to manage and optimize flexibility and balancing services for the electricity market. This formula overcomes one of the main obstacles to the development of large-scale storage facilities: economic sustainability and predictability of revenues over time.
Eliano Russo, Country Manager for Zelestra in Italy, stated that “Italy is a key growth market for BESS. We intend to significantly expand our customer base and project pipeline in the coming years.” The company has a consolidated project portfolio of approximately 1,400 MW of solar and BESS projects in Italy and intends to participate in both the MACSE and capacity market auctions for BESS projects, as well as the FER X auction for solar projects.
Market interest in tolling is growing. Only yesterday, Ego Energy, an Italian company controlled by the Shell Group, announced the signing of a tolling contract for a 1 GWh battery with Aer Soléir.
From pv magazine Italy