Rome's busy Fiumicino airport just launched Italy's largest energy storage unit made from recycled electric vehicle batteries, reported Reuters.
The system, called Pioneer, turns 762 battery packs donated by Nissan, Mercedes, and Stellantis into a 10-megawatt-hour storage powerhouse. That's enough juice to keep 3,000 American homes running for an entire day.
This smart recycling move tackles two challenges simultaneously. Italy needs more places to capture energy when solar panels and wind turbines produce power and then release it when the weather doesn't cooperate. Meanwhile, automakers need somewhere to send EV batteries that can't power cars anymore but still hold plenty of energy.
The financial benefits are already adding up for investors who are watching the clean energy space. Storage companies have become some of the fastest-growing stocks in the renewable sector, with many outperforming traditional energy investments over the past five years. Major utilities such as Enel are partnering with airports and other large facilities because these projects yield steady returns and cut operating costs.
For everyday travelers, this means airports can run smoothly even when the power goes out. The system will slash carbon dioxide output by 16,000 tons over the next decade and stores energy from Enel's solar farm that opened at the airport earlier this year.
The momentum behind battery storage keeps growing despite some market ups and downs. These projects make economic sense because they stabilize energy costs and create jobs in manufacturing and installation. Italy is rolling out more renewable projects every month, and each one needs storage to work effectively.
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Airport operator ADR and Enel called the Pioneer system "one of the largest of its kind in Europe" in their joint announcement. The project shows how companies can turn waste streams into profit centers and support the clean energy transition reshaping global markets.
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