Iberdrola buys 9.6-MW Molise solar project to deepen Italian push

• Iberdrola Italia acquired Montenero Green Energy Srl, owner of a 9.6-MW solar project in Molise, advancing a targeted growth strategy in southern Italy.

Iberdrola’s Italian arm has acquired Montenero Green Energy Srl, owner of a 9.6-MW photovoltaic project in Molise, adding a neat, near-term block of capacity in a region with solid irradiation and improving grid access. The deal fits Iberdrola’s pattern in Italy: accumulate a pipeline of executable, grid-friendly assets while selectively layering corporate offtake and participating in national procurement schemes.

At this scale, bankability is about repeatability. Expect a conventional utility-PV design—high-efficiency modules on single-axis trackers or optimized fixed tilt, a DC/AC ratio tuned for annual yield, and plant controls delivering reactive power, fault ride-through, and rapid curtailment response. With Molise’s agricultural footprint, developers often pair arrays with biodiversity plans—species-rich grassland under panels, hedgerow planting at boundaries, and minimal herbicide use—to preserve landscape character and ease municipal approvals.

Commercial options are flexible. Iberdrola can contract output via corporate PPAs with regional manufacturers, participate in Italy’s support mechanisms, or hold a measured merchant slice if nodal fundamentals are favorable. Co-located storage is increasingly part of the conversation: two to four hours of batteries can shift mid-afternoon generation into early evening and unlock ancillary-service revenues. Even if not built on day one, preserving substation space and transformer headroom for a future BESS retrofit is now standard practice.

Grid-side, Molise benefits from proximity to stronger corridors feeding central and southern load pockets. Careful interconnection sequencing—transformer reservations, protection settings aligned with the DSO, and staged commissioning—helps avoid delays that have plagued some Italian sites. Post-COD, unified SCADA and predictive O&M will be key to sustaining availability and catching under-performing strings early.

Strategically, the acquisition keeps Iberdrola on a pragmatic course in Italy: add compact, executable plants while pushing larger projects through permitting. In a market where execution discipline is the edge, a tidy 9.6-MW block that moves smoothly from paper to production can be worth more than a headline-grabbing giant that stalls in the queue.