Italy, June 3, 2025: Enel and Aeroporti di Roma (ADR) have officially launched the Pioneer project, a groundbreaking energy storage initiative designed to accelerate decarbonisation efforts at Rome’s Leonardo da Vinci–Fiumicino Airport. The advanced system repurposes used EV batteries from multiple automotive brands, making it the largest hybrid second-life battery installation in Italy and one of the most significant in Europe.
Developed in collaboration with German research institute Fraunhofer and system integrator Loccioni, Pioneer converts 762 decommissioned battery packs, sourced from Nissan, Mercedes-Benz, and Stellantis, into a powerful 10 MWh Battery Energy Storage System (BESS).
This marks the first time in Italy that such a diverse mix of second-life EV batteries has been integrated into a single energy solution. The system is fully linked with Fiumicino’s newly operational “Solar Farm,” Europe’s largest airport-based self-consumption photovoltaic installation, which began generating power in January 2025.
Pioneer stands as a hallmark of circular economy innovation, harvesting renewable solar energy for use even during non-sunny periods while giving EV batteries a sustainable second life. Over the next decade, the system is expected to eliminate 16,000 tons of CO₂ emissions, helping advance the airport’s NetZero 2030 goal.
In an official press release by ADR, Marco Troncone, CEO of ADR, stated “The Pioneer project represents a concrete example of our strategy, because it brings together our strong commitment to environmental sustainability, the ability to enhance technological innovation and the determination to effectively work as a system with the country’s excellences, such as Enel,”
“This new project will be integrated synergistically with the recently inaugurated Solar Farm, within the ESG strategy supported by the parent company, Mundys, and which positions the starred Fiumicino airport, a hub for passengers and goods, also as a platform for energy efficiency and independence. We are therefore consolidating our path towards decarbonization and energy autonomy of our airports, with the aim of reaching NetZero by 2030.”
In the same press release, Francesca Gostinelli, Head of Enel X Global Retail at Enel, stated, “The Pioneer project shows that innovation is the primary enabler of the energy transition: it accelerates electrification on a large scale thanks to a circular economy model that gives a new life to spent batteries.”
“At the launch of this cutting-edge project, which actively contributes to decarbonisation while offering tangible support to the stability of the electricity grid, we are particularly proud to emphasise the fact that it is the result of a partnership that has pooled the expertise and know-how of mainly Italian companies - the ingenuity of Made in Italy put at the service of technological progress, national innovation that supports the sustainability and the advancement of the country’.”
The project’s industrial scale and sustainable design earned it a win under the EU’s Innovation Fund SSC-2020 call, coordinated by the European Climate, Environment and Infrastructure Executive Agency (CINEA).
Pioneer reflects a successful synthesis of Italian ingenuity, European collaboration, and environmental responsibility. As battery reuse becomes an increasingly vital pillar of energy policy, this pioneering system could serve as a model for airports and industrial zones across Europe aiming to pair renewable energy with storage solutions grounded in sustainability.
