Italy launched the second auction of the MACSE (Mercato a Termine degli Stoccaggi) mechanism, promoted by the grid operator Terna. The call for bids, published on May 28, 2026, will offer 16 GWh of stand-alone storage capacity for delivery in 2029 , consolidating the country as one of the most dynamic markets for large-scale battery storage systems in Europe.
The auction will be held on November 24, 2026 , and will offer 15-year indexed contracts backed by the electricity system operator. The volume offered is 60% higher than that awarded in the first round and is part of Italy's roadmap to reach 42 GWh of storage capacity by 2030.
The first edition of MACSE, for the 2028 delivery year, confirmed the sector's strong interest. The process awarded nearly 10 GWh of capacity and registered an oversubscription of more than four times the available supply. In total, 43 companies participated, although only seven were awarded contracts.
Among the main recipients were Enel, which obtained approximately half of the awarded capacity, followed by ACL Energy, ZE Energy, Eni Plenitude, Greenvolt/V-Ridium, Whysol, and NatPower. In total, nearly 80% of the capacity remained in the hands of companies with state participation or strong institutional backing.
The weighted average closing price reached €12,959 per MWh-year, well below the regulatory limit of €37,000 per MWh-year. The selected projects totaled 1,491 MW and 9,968 MWh distributed across 14 developments, with an average storage duration of 6.6 hours and technology based entirely on lithium-ion batteries. Italy launches a new MACSE auction and accelerates the development of energy storage with 16 GWh by 2029.
Looking ahead to the next tender, analysts anticipate even fiercer competition. The increased volume available, coupled with the continued decline in battery costs, could put downward pressure on the winning bids.
However, the economic appeal of these projects does not depend solely on regulated payments. Developers also seek to capture additional revenue through operations in ancillary services markets, capacity, and energy arbitrage.
One of the most significant aspects of this new funding round is the possibility of participation from technologies other than those considered standard. This openness could favor the incorporation of sodium-ion batteries, a technology that is beginning to scale commercially and promises lower costs and less dependence on critical raw materials.
The advance of Asian manufacturers such as CATL and BYD in next-generation storage technologies could introduce new competitive factors in future tenders.
The capacity planned for the auction will be distributed among different areas of the Italian electricity system:
- Central-South: between 1 and 3 GWh.
- South and Calabria: between 3 and 11.5 GWh.
- Sicily: between 1 and 6 GWh.
- Sardinia: between 0.5 and 3 GWh.
Auction schedule
Those interested must comply with a demanding schedule:
- Applications for admission: from July 7 to 27, 2026.
- Submission of documentation on the portal: until September 10, 2026.
- Guarantees and supplementary documentation: until October 20, 2026.
- Auction date: November 24, 2026.