NEC Corp. said Thursday it has received an Italian order for one of the largest electricity storage systems in Europe for a pilot smart-grid project.

Enel Distribuzione, an affiliate of major Italian electric utility Enel SpA, will use the 2 megawatt per hour lithium-ion energy storage system for the project at the Chiaravalle power substation in Calabria to optimize electricity flow to the Italian power grid.

The system will absorb the effects of fluctuations in electricity generation using wind, solar and other renewable energy sources to stabilize the quality of electricity supply, NEC said.