Edison and Webuild have signed a programmatic agreement to develop hydroelectric pumping projects in southern Italy with the aim of growing Italy's hydroelectric supply chain to increase the country's energy autonomy.

Specifically, says a note, the agreement calls for collaboration between the two groups to define and implement projects related to pumping at Pescopagano in Basilicata and Villarosa in Sicily developed by Edison.

The two pumped-storage projects are part of Edison's strategy for the growth of renewable energy in Italy, which plans to increase the group's installed green capacity to 5 GW by 2030 (from the current 2 GW) and jointly to build at least 500 MW of storage, as necessary tools for not dispersing the renewable energy produced at times of higher availability. Pumping hydroelectric plants are the most reliable form of electricity storage, according to the note.

(Claudia Cristoferi, editing Stefano Bernabei)