They continue to grow i electricity consumption of Italians. According to Terna, the company that manages the national transmission grid, in April our country consumed electricity for 24,1 billion kWh, a value up 0,6% year-on-year and by 0,4% compared to last March. However, April 2022 had two fewer working days than the same month in 2021 and an average temperature about 0,8 degrees higher: consequently, the seasonally adjusted and corrected electricity demand data for calendar and temperature effects results in growth of 2,8% every year.
At the territorial level, the trend change for April 2022 was positive everywhere: +0,3% al North part, +0,8% al Centro and +0,9% al South and in islands.
If we broaden our gaze to the first quarter, the demand for electricity in Italy is up by 2,1% over the year (+2,2% the adjusted value).
Also last month, 86% of Italian electricity demand was met with national production and the remaining portion (14%) with the balance of energy exchanged with foreign countries. Net national production amounted to 21 billion kWh (-2%).
A look at renewables
Renewables, which covered an average of 37% of electricity demand, exceeded 50% during the Easter holidays (between 16 and 18 April) and recorded a daily peak of 60,3% precisely on the day of Easter (April 17).
Wind and photovoltaic
Double-digit growth in production from wind (+53,5%) and photovoltaic (+17,6%) sources: specifically, the increase in wind generation is mainly due to greater wind conditions recorded during the month, while the growth in photovoltaic production is linked both to the greater solar radiation (about two thirds) and to the increase in new installed power in Italy since the beginning of 2022. Wind and photovoltaic together have generated about a quarter of national electricity production, a record value for the month of April.
other renewable sources
Geothermal (-0,4%), thermal (-2,7%) and hydroelectric (-41%) sources were down, the latter in particular due to the effects of the low rainfall which has now been going on for several months.
The import-export balance
As regards the import-export balance, the change is equal to +18,9%. For the first time since the beginning of the year, there was a growth in imports (+20,2%) against an ever-increasing trend in exports (+32,2%).
Energy-intensive companies
The IMCEI index developed by Terna, which examines the industrial consumption of so-called energy-intensive companies, recorded a decrease of 1% compared to April 2021 (+0,7% on a like-for-like calendar) and a growth of 1,1. 2022% compared to the previous month (March XNUMX), with data excluding the calendar effect, temperature and seasonality. The findings of the food and paper sectors were positive; the mechanical, non-ferrous metals and means of transport sectors are down; all the others were essentially stable.
