The Energy Authority has established the value of the high voltage electricity grid currently owned by Ferrovie dello Stato Italiane in the event that it is acquired by Terna, thus becoming part of the National Transmission Grid (Rtm). The valuation is 674 million euros, a sum that "represents the amount of benefits for the community of Italian electricity users - explains the Authority - deriving from the inclusion of the railways' electricity grids in the NTG".
The resolution was issued in implementation of a provision included in the 2015 Stability Law and comes at the end of a "complex and in-depth investigation, conducted by the Authority with the support of an independent commission of experts it identified itself, which requested the 'acquisition and analysis of technical, economic and accounting information relating to the more than 7.500 km of railway networks subject to possible transfer to Terna”, continues the note.
The value of 674 million euros "corresponds to the evaluation of the Ferrovie portion of the network in terms of expected net benefit for the electricity system - therefore for end users, the Authority explains -, against an evaluation carried out by the State Railways which , with a method judged inconsistent with electric regulation, reaches around 970 million euros”.
The impact on electricity tariffs deriving from the inclusion of the high voltage electricity grids of the railways in the NTG, "should Terna's acquisition operation be completed by 2015 as appears to be in the spirit of the 2015 Stability law, will in any case be gradual over years (recognizing Terna the higher operating costs starting from 2016, to which will be added the remuneration of capital starting from 2017). Furthermore, the tariff impact of the operation could still be significantly reduced with the possible Community funding obtainable thanks to the potential for greater development of renewable sources deriving from the integration of the portion of the grid”, concludes the note.
