The Italian Ministry of Environment and Energy Security has approved the operating rules for the FER X decree with a 10GW allocation to solar PV.
Signed by energy minister Gilberto Pichetto on 7 August, the scheme will seek to add up to 37.15GW of renewable energy capacity, including solar PV, wind power, hydropower and residual gas that has been purified. The FER X scheme aims to accelerate the growth of renewable energy deployment in Italy and meet the country’s 2030 renewable energy targets.
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Power plants of up to 1MW can directly access the support mechanism until the end of 2030, with a total allocation capacity of 10GW, while the remaining 27.15GW will be awarded through auctions held between 2026 and 2028.
In total, seven auctions will be held for the four technologies mentioned above, with the first one scheduled for December 2026.
A further four auctions for only solar PV and wind power will also be held, two of which will be held in 2027 and one each in 2026 and 2028. These four auctions for solar PV and wind power will be required to comply with additional pre-qualification criteria linked to the EU’s Net-Zero Industry Act (NZIA), including the procurement of non-Chinese components of a solar system. The same rules applied to last year’s NZIA auction, under which Italy awarded contracts to 1.1GW of solar PV capacity.
Solar PV projects will have the lowest strike price with €80/MWh (US$92/MWh), with a superior threshold set at €95/MWh and an inferior threshold set at €65/MWh.
The strike price for the upcoming FER X auctions will be higher than the average power price awarded in the first FER X tender held last year. Organised by Italy’s energy management agency Gestore dei Servizi Energetici (GSE), the auction awarded nearly 7.7GW of solar PV for an average power price of €56.825/MWh.
Rooftop solar projects that aim to replace asbestos or eternit will have an adjusted strike price of +€27/MWh, while projects built on bodies of water will have an adjusted price of +€10/MWh. This accounts for the different cost levels associated with these projects.
Solar PV projects awarded in the upcoming tenders will have 36 months to be completed. The directorial decree can be accessed here, with additional details on the FER X decree available on GSE’s website.
The FER X support scheme had previously been approved by the European Commission (EC) in June of this year. Awarded projects will be provided a 20-year contract for difference (CfD). Shortly after the EC’s approval, PV Tech Premium spoke with Patrizio Donati, co-founder and director at Italian independent power producer (IPP) Terrawatt, about the security the scheme offers to energy producers, while challenges still persist in the Italian market, such as permitting (subscription required).
