The European Investment Bank (EIB), Natixis Corporate & Investment Banking (Natixis CIB), and Sunprime Holdings S.r.l. have finalised a project finance agreement of up to €507 million to support Project Sophocles in Italy. The project involves the development and operation of nearly 200 solar plants with a combined capacity of 290 MWp, along with 350 MW of battery energy storage systems (BESS). Once operational, the project is expected to generate 416 GWh of renewable electricity annually, sufficient to supply over 160,000 households.
The EIB is expected to contribute financing of up to €271 million as part of the overall funding structure. The portfolio will be organised into 6 to 12 clusters with shared collateral structures and supported by grid connection infrastructure. Additionally, most installations will be deployed on industrial rooftops and existing commercial sites. Revenue streams are expected to be derived from Italy’s Fer-X Contract for Difference mechanism and wholesale electricity market sales for solar generation, as well as tolling arrangements, participation in capacity markets for BESS facilities.
In February 2026, EIB committed approximately €34 million to support the construction and operation of three solar projects in southwestern Romania. The projects will have a combined capacity of 190 MW and are expected to generate enough electricity to supply more than 160,000 households. They will be located in the Olt and Dolj counties in the Oltenia region, near the Danube river and the Bulgarian border.
