Contourglobal acquires energy storage projects in Italy ahead of Macse Auctions

• ContourGlobal acquires 1.6 GW of BESS projects in Italy with up to 9.5 GWh of energy storage capacity ahead of MACSE auctions
• Energy storage is emerging as a key enabler of a flexible and resilient power system

Milan, July 3rd, 2025 – In Italy, ContourGlobal, a KKR company led by President and CEO Antonio Cammisecra, is establishing itself as a leading developer of battery energy storage systems (BESS). Over the past months, the company has acquired BESS projects with a combined power capacity of approximately 1.6 GW and storage durations of up to eight hours. Once fully developed, the portfolio could reach a total energy storage capacity of nearly 9.5 GWh, strategically positioning the company ahead of the upcoming MACSE (the Italian Storage Capacity Procurement Mechanism) auctions starting in September, as well as for future opportunities in balancing markets or other commercial initiatives.
ContourGlobal further strengthens its commitment to Italy’s energy transition with significant transactions in BESS, recognized as one of the key enablers of a flexible, decarbonized, and resilient electricity system. With over 100 MW of operational solar PV assets across 14 Italian regions, the company has recently completed the acquisition of a major national portfolio of electrochemical storage projects at various stages of maturity and spread throughout the country.
Beyond Italy, ContourGlobal has extensive experience in this field, with projects totaling 3 GWh of energy storage capacity already in operation – such as the hybrid facility in Bonaire – or under advanced construction in various countries, including Chile and Bulgaria. In addition, over 1.3 GWh of late-stage storage developments are underway in the United States. All of these new systems feature long-duration batteries capable of supplying energy to the grid for periods raging from 4 to 6.5 hours.
ContourGlobal’s New BESS Projects in Italy
The recent acquisitions in Italy are structured across two separate transactions. ContourGlobal’s first move is a strategic agreement with an Italian renewable energy developer, covering approximately 1,500 MW of storage projects at various maturity stages. This includes an early-stage tranche and a more advanced tranche, each with 750MW of power output capacity. The more advanced tranche includes three projects (totaling 260 MW) in Southern Italy that are in an advanced permitting phase and eligible for the first MACSE auction in September, also featuring battery technology with a planned duration between four and eight hours. The entire portfolio, which could reach over 9 GWh of energy storage capacity with commissioning expected to 2028, is geographically diversified across the country to cover multiple capacity zones.
This transaction is complemented by the acquisition of a 98 MW project, in Southern Italy, from a pan-European renewable energy investment and development platform. This system, also expected to come online in 2028, is designed to deliver energy for a period between four and eight hours, with a minimum of 400 MWh of storage capacity.
“Batteries are rapidly becoming the key element for transforming the global power system,” said Antonio Cammisecra, President and CEO of ContourGlobal. “With these acquisitions in Italy—potentially to be expanded by other deals—we are building a pipeline of projects for 10 GWh of storage capacity. This is a clear demonstration of ContourGlobal’s commitment to continue investing in the sustainable transformation of the Italian electricity system. Developing storage systems in the country supports the gradual move away from fossil fuels, strengthens grid resilience, and enables the energy transition at a national scale.”

Batteries: A Paradigm Shift for the Power Grid
Battery energy storage systems can participate in the power market through a range of mechanisms. In Italy, the primary route is via the upcoming MACSE auctions or alternative regulated schemes for ancillary services, though conditions may also emerge for merchant participation in the wholesale energy market.
Internationally, ContourGlobal’s strategy in markets with favorable competitive conditions is to harness the potential of advanced storage technologies to maximize the value of renewable generation by making it available outside peak production hours. The company is nearing completion of one of the world’s most advanced hybrid complexes in Chile’s Atacama Desert. The Quillagua and Victor Jara plants—featuring a combined 851 MWp of solar PV and BESS capacity—will soon leverage 2.5 GWh of energy storage capacity under the “Sun at Night” business mode, enabling the continuous energy delivery up to 6.5 hours after sunset.
ContourGlobal’s strategy also includes evaluating opportunities to install BESS assets in co-location with its existing industrial sites, leveraging available land and pre-existing grid connections. This configuration accelerates the deployment of hybrid BESS systems and, where possible, new adjacent renewable capacity. The hybridization approach applies both to thermal generation assets and to renewable facilities.
A concrete example of this is ContourGlobal’s Maritsa East 3 power plant site in Bulgaria, where the company is reusing the grid connection of the former Units 1 and 2 to install a 500 MWh BESS currently under advanced construction. On the same site, construction is set to begin on additional hybrid renewable projects, including PV systems integrated with batteries providing around 2.5 hours of storage duration.
According to recent estimates, in advanced markets like California, batteries have already become the largest single energy source during evening peak hours (typically 2 to 4 hours), surpassing 11 GW in installed capacity—up from just 4 GW two years ago. This evolution is expected to accelerate further with the widespread introduction of six- to ten-hour battery systems, enabling power grids to operate reliably without relying on fossil-fuel-based backup capacity.