Rome’s Fiumicino International Airport has become the first in Italy to deploy a large-scale energy storage system built entirely from used electric vehicle batteries, in a bid to accelerate its decarbonization strategy and support energy independence.

Developed jointly by Italian energy giant Enel and Aeroporti di Roma, the system – known as Pioneer – is the country’s largest energy storage infrastructure, utilizing second-life EV batteries and one of the largest in Europe.

The project is designed to integrate with the airport’s solar farm and will help avoid the emission of 16,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide over the next decade.

Reimagining Battery Life at Scale

The Pioneer system has been built using 762 repurposed battery packs from three major car manufacturers – Nissan, Mercedes-Benz, and Stellantis – a first for Italy in terms of integrating heterogeneous battery types.

System integrator Loccioni transformed the components into a 10-megawatt-hour battery energy storage system, which is now fully operational and aligned with Fiumicino’s broader push for energy autonomy.

The storage facility is linked to the airport’s “Solar Farm”, Europe’s largest photovoltaic plant for self-consumption at an airport, inaugurated in January 2025.

The combined system enables the storage and dispatch of green energy, even when solar production declines, thereby enhancing grid stability and supporting Fiumicino’s goal of achieving net-zero emissions by 2030.

Strategic Launch Backed by Government and Industry

The project was unveiled at a launch event at the airport attended by key government and industry figures, including Italian Minister of Enterprises Adolfo Urso.

“Pioneer is the first project of its kind in Italy: a multifunctional energy platform serving Fiumicino airport that combines decarbonization, energy autonomy, and competitiveness,” Urso said. He called the project an example of how Italy can lead in sustainable industrial innovation by integrating circular economy principles and digitalization.

National Collaboration, European Recognition

Italian companies Enel and ADR were joined by the German research institute Fraunhofer, with support from the European Agency for Climate, Environment and Infrastructure, which selected Pioneer as one of the winning projects under its Innovation Fund SSC-2020 call.

“Innovation is the primary enabler of the energy transition,” said Francesca Gostinelli, head of Enel X Global Retail. “This project gives new life to spent batteries and supports grid stability, all while showcasing Italian ingenuity at an industrial scale.”

ADR CEO Marco Troncone described Pioneer as a cornerstone of the company’s environmental strategy, which was developed in alignment with its parent company, Mundys. “We’re reinforcing Fiumicino’s role not just as a top global airport, but as a platform for energy efficiency and independence,” he said.

Driving Circular Economy in Aviation

With Pioneer, Italy positions itself at the forefront of sustainable aviation infrastructure. The project demonstrates how circular economy models can help reimagine the life cycle of critical materials, such as lithium-ion batteries and contribute directly to energy transition goals.

Fiumicino – also known as Leonardo da Vinci Airport – was recently ranked among the world’s top 10 airports by Skytrax. The installation of Pioneer adds another dimension to its profile, showcasing the potential for transport hubs to become sustainability leaders.