Galileo wins permits for two 125 MW battery storage projects in Italy, totalling 1.5 GWh

Zurich-based renewable energy developer Galileo secured planning consent on 6 October 2026 for two utility-scale battery energy storage system (BESS) projects in Italy, together rated at 250 MW of power capacity and 1.5 GWh of energy storage^[1]. The company expects consent for a further approximately 100 MW of Italian BESS capacity within the coming weeks^[1].

Two projects, two durations

The newly consented developments are each rated at 125 MW but differ in storage depth^[1]:

• 125 MW / 1,000 MWh - eight-hour duration, located in Italy's North electricity market zone
• 125 MW / 500 MWh - four-hour duration, located in the Centre-South electricity market zone

The 125 MW / 1,000 MWh project is one of the longest-duration utility-scale BESS assets to receive consent in Italy to date. Both projects were originated, designed and developed entirely in-house by Galileo's Italian team, which handled the full permitting process from site identification through to authorisation^[1]. Local municipalities were consulted and territorial compensation agreements were reached during that process^[1].

Francesco Dolzani, Galileo's managing director for Italy, said the company deliberately sizes battery duration on a country-by-country basis. "In Italy, we generally develop longer-duration projects. The rationale is optionality, as a longer-duration asset keeps a wider range of offtake and business models open, so we can pursue the most attractive route to market as each project matures."

Part of a fast-growing Italian portfolio

Galileo has now secured consents for more than 650 MW of solar PV and BESS capacity in Italy over the past 18 months.^[1] The company's Italian development pipeline spans utility-scale solar PV, BESS, and onshore and offshore wind, and now exceeds 3 GW in total^[1]. Across Europe, Galileo is developing approximately 17 GW of renewable energy and storage capacity^[1].

The Italian market context is supportive. Italy ranks among the top three European markets for BESS attractiveness, alongside Germany and Great Britain. Italy's MACSE capacity market mechanism offers developers 15-year contracts, and the first MACSE auction in 2025 procured 10 GWh of storage at an average price of approximately €12,959 per MW per year - a round that was oversubscribed four times. Galileo is not alone in moving quickly: BW ESS broke ground on its 97 MW / 828 MWh Cerignola project in Apulia on 2 October 2026, and Aura Power sold its 200 MW / 1 GWh Troia project to French IPP ZE Energy in the same week.

IPP ambitions

Galileo's co-founder and CEO Ingmar Wilhelm signalled that the company intends to move beyond pure development. "These latest BESS consents further strengthen Galileo's multi-technology pipeline of more than 3 GW in Italy," he said. "We will embark on our IPP trajectory in Italy, one of Europe's most energy dependent countries, with a selection of high-quality green energy projects in the near future."^[1]

Galileo previously sold a 98 MW battery project in southern Italy to a leading international IPP. The shift toward owning and operating assets marks a strategic step up the value chain for the Zurich-based developer.

The near-term signal to watch is whether the anticipated ~100 MW of additional Italian consents arrives on schedule, and which projects Galileo selects for its initial IPP portfolio - decisions that will indicate how aggressively the company intends to compete for MACSE auction slots and merchant revenue in one of Europe's most active grid-scale storage markets.