Zelestra has secured a green financing package of approximately €13 million with the Italian bank BPER to start construction of two solar projects in the south of the country. The facilities, located in Ginosa (Puglia) and Bellomo (Sicily), will have a combined capacity of 16 MWdc and are designed to generate enough clean energy to supply around 10,000 Italian households.
Financing solar projects in Puglia and Sicily
The transaction signed with BPER, which also acts as hedge bank and agent, represents a key step in Zelestra’ s growth strategy in the Italian market. It is the company’s first financial signing in the country and is aimed at the execution of two photovoltaic projects: the 6.5 MWdc Ginosa plant and the 9.5 MWdc Bellomo plant.
Both projects will make a significant contribution to the country’s energy transition, with an estimated reduction of 8,500 tons of CO2 emissions per year. The electricity produced will be marketed through long-term power purchase agreements (PPAs) signed with BKW, a Swiss company specializing in energy and infrastructure.
Zelestra is positioned as a key player in the promotion of renewable energies in Italy. With a portfolio of more than 1.4 GW in solar and energy storage (BESS) projects, the company plans to double this figure by 2026. In addition to the BPER-financed projects, the company was recently awarded nine projects in the FER X auctions, which will allow it to develop up to 168 MW of additional solar capacity.
The company has also announced an initial agreement for a 2 GWh BESS system in the north of the country, which would make it one of the largest battery projects in Europe.
Eliano Russo, CEO of Zelestra Italia, highlighted the importance of the agreement with BPER as a sign of institutional confidence: “The signing of our first financing agreement in Italy represents an endorsement of our team’s technical and developmental approach”. According to the executive, the company will continue to invest in the deployment of more solar and storage projects, with a long-term vision.
Source and photo: Zelestra