The summer heat is already here in Italy. But in the heavily gas-dependent country, there is an emergency around energy. Italy imports 95 percent of its gas, of which as much as 42 percent comes from Russia.
A new agreement was recently concluded with Algeria on a supply of three billion cubic meters of gas annually. However, it covers only a fraction of Italy’s gas consumption of 76 billion cubic meters per year. New gas contracts are also being signed with Congo, Angola and Qatar.
– It’s crazy. Now we are becoming dependent on new countries that, both in terms of democracy and political stability, are often hesitant, says Michele De Pascale, mayor of Ravenna.
Suspects foreign pressure
The city is one of Italy’s largest port cities and in the sea off and along the entire Adriatic coast there are a plethora of gas platforms. Italy has gas both under the seabed and on land, but of 1,298 gas extraction sites, 752 are now inactive.
– One can suspect that there has been strong pressure from powerful foreign stakeholders that has made us destroy our own gas sector and start importing expensively from abroad, says Michele De Pascale and continues:
– Today, due to totally wrong decisions about energy, which our country has taken over the past 20 years, we have enormous difficulties. If Russia were to restrict the flow of gas, our entire industry would be paralyzed, says De Pascale.
We meet in his office, which is oppressively hot because from 1 May it is not allowed to have cooler indoors than 27 degrees, to save energy in what the Italian government calls “Operation thermostat”.
– And this winter we will be forced to freeze indoors, says the mayor.
Want to invest in sustainable energy sources
When we later go out by boat a short distance from the beaches around Ravenna, we pass a number of large abandoned gas platforms. The Conte government decided in 2019 to shut down large parts of domestic gas extraction. The decision was to be reconsidered after 18 months, but then that government had fallen and since then nothing has happened.
Italy extracted 20 billion cubic meters of gas a year 30 years ago. Last year, due to the closed platforms, they produced less own gas than ever before, only 3.3 billion cubic meters.
– We will definitely invest in sustainable energy sources. But it takes time, a long time. Until then, we must invest in our own gas production and become independent, says Mayor De Pascale.