(Finance) – “To free oneself from imported gas and lower energy costs, the only possible solution is that of a massive development program for renewable and of investments on the network. Therefore, a coordinated effort is needed in terms of programming, authorization simplifications and the construction of electrical infrastructures, which are fundamental, together with storage, to enable the energy transition”, he underlined Stephen Donnarummamanaging director of Triadspeaking today at the round table “Energy security and the role of networks” during the conference La Ripartenza.
“At the end of December 2022 – added Donnarumma – the requests for connection to our network of new generation plants from renewable sources amounted to approximately 311GWof which about 40% from solar sources and about 57% from wind sources, or almost 4 times the objectives that Italy has set itself for 2030: the numbers show that the projects they investors there are. The network is and will be able to accompany the development of the 70GW of renewable energies envisaged by the European Fit for 55 plan which would save over 26 billion cubic meters of gas, essentially those imported from Russia in the last twelve months”.
“It is also essential to have an increasingly interconnected system at an international level”, added Terna’s CEO. “Thanks to its geographical position in the center of the MediterraneanItaly can become theenergy hub between North Africa and continental Europe. In line with this ambition, last December, MASE started the authorization procedure for the new submarine interconnection between Italy And Tunisia which will require a total investment of 850 million euros. Of these, 307 million euros will be financed by the EU: for the first time, EU funds are assigned to a work developed by a Member State and a third State with more than half of the budget available in the 2022 tender destined for projectfurther evidence of the strategic importance of this infrastructure”.
Donnarumma concluded his speech by explaining that “in the current situation, it is a priority to consume energy in a sustainable and efficient way. In this regard we have launched, in agreement with the MASE, a awareness campaign for a conscious, rational and virtuous use of electricity in Italy which has identified a series of behaviors thanks to which it is possible to contain consumption, and therefore costs. The results, also facilitated by the mild temperatures of the period, were appreciable: based on preliminary data, consumption in Italy in the month of December decreased by around 9%”.