414 MW Storage: Lazio Says No, Besstarq Unwilling
The Lazio region has rejected approval for the 414 MW storage project planned in Pian Boaro, within Tarquinia’s territory. Company BESSTARQ disputes this decision, arguing that the functions of storage facilities have been confused with those of renewable energy generation plants.
The controversy centers on land use, an excessive concentration of facilities in the Viterbese area, and the technical assessments conducted during the review process. This issue brings to the forefront the challenge of obtaining permits for the development of battery-based energy storage infrastructure, which are becoming increasingly important for integrating renewable sources into the power grid.
No 414 MW storage in Tarquinia: region issues stop order
The controversial project involves a 414 MW battery storage system planned for Pian Boaro, in the municipality of Tarquinia, within the province of Viterbo. The Lazio regional council denied the approval necessary for its development, a decision that BESSTARQ, the Italian company proposing it, considers to be at odds with the technical findings from the authorization process.
According to the company, during the review phase, favorable opinions along with corresponding requirements were issued by the regional offices responsible for Biodiversity and Urban Planning, as well as by the River Basin Authority, regarding the compatibility of the slopes.
The discrepancy between these assessments and the political decision is one of the main points of contention. Currently, the reasons given by the council relate to the excessive concentration of renewable energy production facilities in the Viterbo area.
Renewables and storage, BESSTARQ: “facilities with different functions.”
BESSTARQ emphasizes, however, the technical distinction that primarily concerns the function of the infrastructure. A storage facility does not directly produce electricity but stores energy and releases it back into the grid at a later time. Thus, it can help manage the variability in solar and wind power generation by shifting part of the available energy from periods of high production to times when it is most needed.
The difference is significant even at the territorial level. The company states that 2.8 hectares are allocated for the batteries in the Tarquinia project, while the photovoltaic park with a capacity of over 54 MW—mentioned in the regional justification—located about five kilometers from the site would cover approximately 50 hectares.
For BESSTARQ, these are projects with distinct characteristics that cannot be compared solely based on nominal capacity. “Where there are many renewable sources, it is necessary to consider how to make better use of that energy and make it available at other times of the day,” the company states in a statement. “The concentration of production facilities cannot automatically become an argument against infrastructure that helps manage it.”
414 MW Capacity Reserve: The Case Goes to Court
The regional decision temporarily halts what would have been a major project. However, in response to the strong opposition, BESSTARQ is prepared to fight in court against what it calls a “political refusal” driven by “ideological biases.”
We regret that, as has happened too often in recent years, judges will once again be called to decide on regulatory responsibilities that the relevant authorities are unwilling to assume. In our view, this decision is influenced by ideological biases or, worse still, an inability to distinguish between projects that are fundamentally different in nature, function, and impact.
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