Investor momentum into Italy’s first MACSE auction, scheduled for 30th Sep 2025, has accelerated following Terna’s release of auction timelines in early March. This has triggered a notable uptick in M&A activity around permitted projects—while many operators are already starting to focus on future auction rounds.
New project authorisations have pushed eligible capacity well beyond the 9 GWh recorded at the end of February (as covered in our recent blog article on MACSE). Between March and early April, the Italian Energy Ministry granted around 1 GW of new Autorizzazioni Uniche (AU) to BESS projects, significantly increasing potential participation.
In parallel, a share of standalone BESS projects located in industrial areas are progressing under the simplified Procedura Autorizzativa Semplificata (PAS). These are also MACSE-eligible but less transparent than AU projects—suggesting that total authorised capacity may already exceed reported figures.
MACSE’s competitive structure enforces the 80% rule: the national auction quota is set as the minimum between 10 GWh and 80% of pre-qualified capacity. With authorised capacity now exceeding 12.5 GWh, the 10 GWh cap is expected to apply—removing the 80% constraint in this round.
A key remaining uncertainty is how much of the permitted capacity will be qualified for the auction. The adoption of Hybrid MACSE strategies could mean that qualified volumes fall below capacity achieving authorisation by the August deadline.
Auction competition is intensifying. Timing and positioning are now critical. Market focus is shifting to the development pipeline and the upcoming publication of the reserve auction premium by ARERA.
We discuss all of this in more detail in our webinar on the 1st MACSE auction this Friday (details below).
Webinar: “The starting gun has been fired” – focused on the 1st MACSE auction.
Topic: Timelines, guidelines & commercial considerations for BESS investors targeting 1st MACSE auction in Sep 2025
Time & access: Fri 11th Apr 10:00-10:30 CET (09:00-09:30 GMT)
Registration: Pre-registration required (access is free); webinar registration link – register here
Coverage:
- Timeline & key requirements into Sep 2025 auction
- BESS capacity procurement volumes
- Zonal / locational drivers
- Latest on MACSE investment route implications
- Bidding strategy considerations for investors
