LONGi Solar will supply a utility-scale photovoltaic and battery storage project for RWE in Italy, its largest such contract in the country to date. Totalling approximately 300 MWh of storage capacity, the grid-connected installation marks a step in LONGi's push beyond modules into integrated clean energy delivery.
For this project, LONGi will supply its flagship LONGiBank 6.25 MWh, an all-in-one, liquid-cooled LFP unit offering an energy density of up to 146 Wh/L and packing 6,251 kWh of capacity into a 20-foot container. It features a multi-level fuse electrical design alongside AI-driven thermal runaway prediction for active fire prevention, while AI-controlled temperature management extends service life and integrated diagnostics streamline operations and maintenance to reduce the levelised cost of storage. Deployed in a four-hour configuration, the battery is aligned with the Italian national grid's peak-shaving and ancillary services requirements.
Unlocking the Italian energy transition
As Italy accelerates toward the goals set out in its National Integrated Plan for Energy and Climate (PNIEC), storage has become central to the transition. High-capacity battery projects are vital to mitigate the intermittency of solar generation, stabilise the national grid and ensure that clean, affordable energy remains dispatchable during peak non-solar hours.
LONGi Solar: modules and storage from a single source
"This agreement with RWE is a strong vote of confidence in LONGi's technology," says Leon Zhang, President of LONGi Europe. "We are showing that solar-plus-storage is no longer an add-on but a cornerstone of the future power grid. This 300 MWh project shows how high-efficiency PV and intelligent storage can work as a single, dispatchable power source."
Zhang notes that the European market is shifting from one-off transactions to long-term partnerships. "Customers expect long-term partnerships that safeguard project economics and optimise the levelised cost of electricity. This is exactly why we introduced our LONGi ONE portfolio, to combine PV and storage seamlessly in response to Europe's growing demand for co-located clean energy assets."
Redefining solar-storage
At the heart of this cooperation is LONGi's newly introduced LONGi ONE strategy, designed to overcome the traditional multi-vendor "accountability gap" in solar-plus-storage projects:
- One platform: fully self-developed, natively integrated PV and battery storage. The LONGi ONE architecture achieves a round-trip efficiency of 93 percent, four percentage points higher than standalone setups.
- One software layer: an intelligent, AI-powered control layer (OneSync / OneOS). Its patented Intelligent Cell Connection System (iCCS) monitors cells in real time, predicting risks three to six months in advance.
- One responsibility: a comprehensive turnkey offering and integrated O&M model, with LONGi acting as the single point of contact for the entire lifecycle of the asset.
"With the deployment of our LONGiBank 6.25 MWh unit in a four-hour configuration, we are bringing a high standard of safety and efficiency to the Italian grid," explains David Sanchez, Head of Energy Storage Business Unit at LONGi Europe. "Under our LONGi ONE strategy, we eliminate the complexity and performance losses of mixed-vendor setups, delivering a pre-integrated, highly reliable turnkey platform backed by localised, single-point accountability."
LONGi: a look inside the ONE storage platform
To support this commitment locally, LONGi is rolling out its "2815 Plan". By the end of 2028, the company will establish 15 local service Centres of Excellence across major European markets, expanding from its initial hub in Madrid, to provide engineering, commissioning and spare-parts support for strategic partners such as RWE. (hcn)
