Zelestra has secured approximately €13 million in senior debt financing to fund the construction of two solar plants in Italy: the 6.5 MWdc Ginosa project in Apulia and the 9.5 MWdc Bellomo project in Sicily. The financing package was signed with Italian bank BPER, which also acts as hedge bank and agent.

Together, the two projects will avoid around 8,500 tonnes of CO? emissions per year and will generate enough clean electricity to supply the equivalent of 10,000 Italian households.

The transaction marks the financial close of Zelestra’s first solar projects in Italy. The company, a global multi-technology renewable energy player with a customer-centric approach, reached financial close through a green senior debt financing package agreed with BPER.

The deal represents a vote of confidence in Zelestra’s development capabilities, technical standards and long-term value creation approach. Both projects are backed by long-term power purchase agreements (PPAs) with BKW, a leading Swiss energy and infrastructure group, strengthening revenue stability and the investment-grade profile of the assets.

Eliano Russo, CEO of Zelestra Italy, said the “signing of the company’s first financing agreement in Italy with an institutional partner such as BPER marks a key milestone,” he stated. “It represents a strong endorsement of Zelestra’s creditworthiness and its rigorous approach to project development and execution. We are grateful for the trust placed in our team and platform. We are now focused on actively doubling our Italian portfolio to 1.4 GW in 2026 and bringing many more solar and BESS projects online.”

Recently, Zelestra was awarded nine projects in Italy’s FER X auctions, enabling the development of up to 168 MW of new solar capacity. Italy is one of Zelestra’s fastest-growing markets, with a portfolio exceeding 1.4 GW of solar and BESS projects.

The company also recently announced an initial purchase agreement for a 2 GWh large-scale BESS project in northern Italy, one of the largest battery storage projects in Europe.