Return and Engie, EnBW and Zelestra agree long-term BESS tolls in Spain, Italy
AI-summarised brief · reviewed before publication
Return and Engie have sealed a 10‑year tolling agreement for three battery‑energy‑storage system (BESS) projects in Spain’s Basque region, totalling 55 MW of power and 220 MWh of capacity, with commercial operation slated for the end of 2027. Under the full‑toll model, Return will develop, own and operate the assets while Engie pays a fixed fee and assumes all market revenue, leveraging its optimisation platform across Spain’s wholesale and ancillary‑services markets. In Italy, EnBW has secured long‑term toll rights to 300 MW of capacity from Zelestra’s 500 MW/2,000 MWh BESS in Emilia‑Romagna, with construction beginning in 2027 and commissioning expected in 2028. The deal covers 60 % of the project’s capacity and follows earlier negotiations that hinted at up to 2 GWh of storage.
💡 Why It Matters
- · The contracts lock in revenue streams for emerging European storage assets, accelerating grid‑stability solutions in markets that have recently tightened storage incentives after the 2025 Iberian blackout.
