How much does it cost to achieve the objectives of the Energy and Climate Plan to improve Italy's energy efficiency, close with coal and increase renewables? Now there is a package of concrete proposals, 50 projects to be exact, put on paper by the major Italian manufacturing companies and ready to be launched on site. The the total cost is 40 billion euros, to be spread over more than 10 years. The package of proposals was presented by Monitor PEC, the observatory on the Energy and Climate Plan promoted by Agici Finanza d'Impresa and by 20 associations and companies (A2A, ABB, Acea, Anigas, CESI, Edison, Elettricità Futura, Enel, ERG Renew, Falck Renewables, Hera Luce, Iren, Italtel, Montello, Motus-E, Rilegno, SECI Energia, Snam, Toyota Motor Italia, Utilitalia).
If all the projects were realized, our country would reduce CO2 emissions by 21 million tons, a quantity equal to 5% of the greenhouse gases produced in a year in Italy and slightly lower than the current emissions of circulating petrol vehicles (22 million tons of CO2). Not only that: by 2030 these projects would also guarantee a saving of 4,5 million tons of oil equivalent and energy production from renewable sources of over 24,5 billion kWh, i.e. a quarter of the current annual production of renewable energy in Italy.
In terms of employment, it is estimated that the 50 projects would be able to produce 18.500 stable workers by 2030, more than the total number of Ilva employees.
As regards the contents, the package of proposals is broad. From the revamping of older wind farms capable of tripling production for the same land occupied to the possibility of capturing biomethane from waste and injecting it into the gas grid. From systems that will bring district heating beyond the current 1,5% satisfaction of the heat demand of buildings (in Sweden and Denmark we are at 90%), to the upgrading of public lighting. Moving on to super-fast electric charging technologies for electric buses and the electrification of ports to finally shut down the engines of moored ships and ferries, saving 30% CO2 emissions and over 95% of particulates and nitrogen oxides.
"Climate change is the most ambitious challenge of the century to the industrial economy of the third millennium, and the overcoming of consolidated consumption models is now peacefully accepted", he says Raffaele Tiscar, President of Monitor Pec.
“The Energy and Climate Plan is not only a challenge but also an opportunity for the country. Energy policy finally becomes the lever for rethinking the country's industrial policy and economic development, with a view to integrating sectors", he declares Marco Carta CEO of Agici. "The PEC Monitor wanted to support this effort both with a detailed analysis of the Plan proposal and with the presentation of a series of concrete contributions resulting from the work of an important part of the country's industry".
Monitor Pec's effort is the first serious attempt to evaluate the impact of energy saving and climate improvement policies. It comes one week after the evaluations of the European Commission, communicated to the 28 member countries on 18 June, considered overall still insufficient to achieve the EU targets for 2030: 32% of renewables, 32,5% for energy efficiency and 30% reduction of emissions in non-ETS sectors (Emissions trade system). This was not the case for the Italian Plan, which was judged to have ambitious objectives. However, the Commission is asking our country to investigate the issues of decarbonisation and energy security with respect to the internal market; the role of gas in the energy mix; strategies to achieve strong penetration of renewables; a greater role for renewables in the heating and cooling of homes. At the same time, according to the European assessment, more detail is needed for policies and initiatives to reduce regulatory complexity and uncertainty. And a greater effort to eliminate subsidies for fossil energy sources. Now we also know that 40 billion is needed provided that, as the EU requests, companies are able to spend it.
