Italy’s first auction for onshore renewable energy under the proposed FER-X support framework is likely to take place in the second half of 2026, after discussions between the Italian government and the European Commission over the scheme’s approval extended longer than expected.
Industry sources speaking during the KEY Energy Transition Expo in Rimini said expectations for a tender in the first half of 2026 have faded, with developers now anticipating that the first round may only occur toward the end of the year.
Italy’s minister for environment and energy security, Gilberto Pichetto Fratin, confirmed that negotiations with the European Commission are still ongoing and could take several more months to conclude.
“My team is working very closely with the European Commission but it is a lengthy procedure,” Fratin told delegates at the event.
Developers have not yet seen a draft version of the FER-X framework but expect the scheme to introduce a two-sided contracts-for-difference mechanism designed to support onshore wind and solar photovoltaic projects. The framework is also expected to include qualitative and quantitative requirements aligned with European legislation, including the Net Zero Industry Act.
Delays in preparing the full FER-X decree previously forced the government to introduce a temporary and limited scheme known as Transitional FER-X. That mechanism, valid only until the end of 2025, awarded 939MW of onshore wind capacity in a single auction round last year.
Fratin also said the ministry is working on a separate framework, FER-Z, which aims to stimulate renewable investment by procuring aggregated portfolios of projects.
The first FER-Z auction is expected to be held in 2027, according to the ministry.
