Trina Storage delivers first utility energy storage project in Italy

Trina Storage, the leading global energy storage solution provider, has commissioned its first utility storage project, Torre di Pierri, in Italy. The system is developed and owned by Trinasolar’s International System Business Unit (ISBU), the global project development arm of Trinasolar, and has seen the two business units collaborate on the site. 

Located in Avetrana in the Province of Taranto, Italy, Torre di Pierri is a 9.3 MWh standalone system that supports grid stability and arbitrage. Trina Storage was contracted by Trinasolar ISBU for the provision of the battery energy storage system, representing the first time the former has delivered a utility-scale energy storage project in Italy.     

Gabriele Buccini, Head of Utility Storage at Trina Storage said: “Commissioning our first utility storage system in Italy is a significant milestone for Trina Storage and the wider Trinasolar group. Trinasolar is an integrated provider of renewable energy solutions, and Trina Storage and Trinasolar ISBU are proud to have worked together to connect the company’s first system to the Italian grid. The experience gained from this will stand us in good stead for the future. 

“Looking ahead, our vertically integrated BESS solutions, namely the Elementa 2 system featuring our proprietary battery cell technology, show a huge potential for the Italian market in the coming years.” 

While Trinasolar ISBU owns and operates the Torre di Pierri facility, it has a contract with Terna, the Italian transmission system operator, to deliver its services for up to 1,000 annual operation hours as a Fast Reserve contributing to grid stability. Extra capacity is used by Trinasolar ISBU to reduce the price differences in the electricity market.

The contract was a result of Terna’s “Fast Reserve” tender, a grid balancing service in Italy that improves the stability of grid frequency while leaving asset owners margins for arbitrage. Trina Storage’s system underwent rigorous testing by Terna and E-Distribuzione, the distribution system operator, before going live.

Trina Storage was recently ranked among the global top five storage providers and integrators for its strong financial position, high-quality energy storage products and services, and globally stable supply chain capability in the Energy Storage System Cost Survey 2023 report, issued by BloombergNEF.