Italy allocates 293.7 MW of solar in latest renewables auction

Gestore dei Servizi Energetici (GSE), Italy’s energy agency, has allocated 413.2 MW of renewable energy capacity in the country’s ninth renewable energy auction, for projects above 1 MW in size.

The GSE awarded 293.7 MW of solar capacity across 42 locations and four wind projects with a combined capacity of 119.5 MW. The PV projects range in size from 1.5 MW to 85.8 MW.

The selected bidders for the solar plants included Italian suppliers such as Acea and  Falck Renewables, as well as international players such as Sonnedix. The other bidders were special purpose vehicles without clear links to noted industrial players.

All of the developers offered a maximum discount ranging from 2% to 2.50% from the auction ceiling price of €0.065 ($0.063)/kWh. The lowest bid came in at €0.06116/kWh and was offered for two solar projects in the region of Piedmont.

The highest bid of €0.06124/kWh was submitted for 11 solar projects in the regions of Sardinia, Lazio, Emilia Romagna, Apulia, Piedmont, and Veneto. The bids were slightly higher or equal to those in the eighth renewable energy auction, when discounts ranged from 2.0% to 3.02%.

In that procurement exercise, which was held in June, the GSE allocated 306 MW of renewable energy capacity, including 300 MW of solar. In the seventh auction, held in January, the Italian authorities allocated 710 MW of solar power, with bids ranging from €0.0626/kWh to €0.0637/kWh. In the sixth auction, held in September, the Italian authorities allocated 297 MW of installed solar power, with bids ranging from €0.0686/kWh to €0.0646/kWh.