EQTEC PLC (AIM:EQT) has said its market development centre (MDC) in Italy is now operational with procedures underway for its handover to a local team.
On 8 March, 2023, the plant exported its first electricity to the national power grid and the 1.1 MWe plant, in Gallina near Castiglione d'Orcia in Tuscany, is EQTEC's first MDC to become operational.
A representative from engineer manufacturer INNIO Jenbacher (Italia) will be on site from 15 March 2023 and following completion of final commissioning, transfer of the plant operations to the Italia MDC staff will take place, EQTEC said.
Italia MDC is also in talks with a local bank over a funding agreement expected to be completed in the second quarter of 2023.
EQTEC noted that MDCs are reference plants that demonstrate the technology in live, commercial environments, with the Italia MDC focused on the agricultural solution model,
Discussions towards securing funding and the sale of equity in MDC in Croatia are underway, EQTEC added, with a third MDC targeted at utilities in eastern France pencilled in to become operational in 2024.
In a statement, David Palumbo, EQTEC’s chief executive, commented: "Having our first MDC transitioning to live operations is a significant catalyser to EQTEC's strategy of becoming a technology licensor for distributed new energy infrastructure.
“We cannot underestimate the importance of the MDCs not only to incubate demand for our technology but also to accelerate the timescales typically required from engagement to transaction.”