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Italy’s Council of Ministers has designated Energy Vault’s Digital Vault Sulcis program in Sardinia as being of pre-eminent national strategic interest, a step the company said will speed the project through the remaining approval process.
The designation, proposed by Minister of Enterprises and Made in Italy Adolfo Urso and supported by President of the Autonomous Region of Sardinia Alessandra Todde, applies to a planned AI-focused infrastructure project at the Carbosulcis former coal mining complex in Nuraxi Figus, Sardinia.
According to Energy Vault, the decision creates an accelerated administrative pathway for the investment program. A special Government Commissioner is expected to be appointed, in coordination with regional authorities, to oversee administrative activities and support faster implementation, including the path toward the required single authorization.
The government-designated program includes an Edge AI data center of up to approximately 30 MW, integrated with renewable energy generation and storage infrastructure. Energy Vault said the broader Digital Vault Sulcis master plan is designed for phased expansion, starting with approximately 30 MW of AI-focused IT capacity and scaling over time toward approximately 50–60 MW of IT capacity and up to 100 MW of total site power capacity.
The company said the strategic designation follows progress over the past year in site development, land rights, engineering, grid interconnection, commercial engagement and project planning. It said those milestones have reduced development risk and moved the project closer to construction.
Energy Vault is currently targeting construction to begin by 2028, with commercial operations expected by 2030, subject to final approvals and remaining development milestones.
"The designation of Digital Vault Sulcis as a program of pre-eminent national strategic interest is an important milestone for the project and a meaningful step forward in our European AI infrastructure strategy," said Marco Terrzzuin, Chief Revenue Officer, of Energy Vault. "It recognizes the strategic role this infrastructure can play for Italy while creating a more coordinated pathway through the remaining development and authorization process."
Luca Manzella VP of Business Development, of Energy Vault continued, "Digital Vault Sulcis is also a strong example of how our Build, Own & Operate model is expanding beyond energy storage into powered AI infrastructure. We are bringing together land, power, energy storage, digital infrastructure and long-term asset ownership to develop critical infrastructure at scale. With the progress achieved to date and the support of the Italian Government and the Autonomous Region of Sardinia, we are continuing to systematically de-risk the project and move it toward construction and long-term commercial operation."
Energy Vault said Digital Vault Sulcis grew out of its previously announced development at the former Nuraxi Figus mining complex. The company said that since it and Carbosulcis began working together to redevelop the site as a technology and energy hub, the project vision has expanded to address demand for AI compute capacity, resilient energy infrastructure and greater digital sovereignty.
The company described the project as its flagship AI infrastructure campus in Europe, combining powered land, resilient energy infrastructure, advanced energy management and modular AI data center capacity. It said the development is designed to support Italy’s objectives around digital sovereignty, artificial intelligence and investment in advanced technology infrastructure, while also contributing to the long-term industrial redevelopment of the Sulcis region.
Energy Vault also said the project reflects a broader expansion of its infrastructure platform from energy assets into AI infrastructure, where access to powered land, resilient energy systems and development execution are increasingly critical to bringing new compute capacity online.
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