Italy Designates Energy Vault AI Project Strategic National Interest

The Council of Ministers of Italy has designated the Digital Vault Sulcis project, developed by Energy Vault Holdings Inc., as being of pre-eminent national strategic interest. The project will transform the former Carbosulcis coal mining complex in Nuraxi Figus, Sardinia, into an AI data center integrated with renewable energy generation and storage.

Proposed by Minister Adolfo Urso and supported by Sardinia's regional president Alessandra Todde, the strategic designation provides an accelerated administrative approval pathway. The initial phase of the project features a 30 MW data center, with a master plan to expand to 50-60 MW of IT capacity and 100 MW of total site power. The Italian government intends to appoint a special Government Commissioner to coordinate the program.

Energy Vault aims to begin construction by 2028 and launch commercial operations by 2030. Marco Terrzzuin, Chief Revenue Officer of Energy Vault, stated that the designation is an "important milestone for the project and a meaningful step forward in our European AI infrastructure strategy." The initiative aligns with Italy's broader objectives for digital sovereignty and advanced technology infrastructure.