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Projets de stockage Stand Alone ou Hybride en France : points clés à retenir
August 20, 2026 The Italian BESS market continues to attract strong interest, but the path to profitability is proving more nuanced than expected.
The MACSE mechanism has accelerated battery storage deployment across Italy and unlocked one of Europe’s largest BESS pipelines. The question now is how projects will generate sustainable returns in an increasingly competitive market.
We are pleased to share key takeaways from Rachel Locquet’s session at Solarplaza Summit Italy in early July.
MACSE has undoubtedly been a major catalyst for BESS development in Italy.
However, realised revenues have so far fallen short of many developers’ expectations, prompting a re-evaluation of business models and return assumptions across the market.
As a result, fully merchant projects are gaining momentum. Project bankability is increasingly supported by:
→ the capacity mechanism, despite ongoing regulatory uncertainties surrounding its long-term framework,
→ emerging tolling agreements,
→ floor-price structures that help reduce revenue volatility and bridge the gap between merchant revenues and investors’ return expectations.
Looking ahead, combining multiple revenue streams will be essential to achieving attractive project returns. Capacity payments, ancillary services, wholesale trading and tolling arrangements will increasingly need to work together.
Expected profitability will also vary significantly between Italian market zones, reflecting local grid dynamics and price patterns.
The evolution of the regulatory framework around the capacity mechanism, and how tolling/floor structures continue to develop as a complement (or alternative) to merchant exposure.
As the market matures, however, competitive advantage will increasingly come from sophisticated revenue strategies rather than from access to a single support mechanism.
Would like to discuss the Italian market, storage revenues or project opportunities? Let’s talk!
