"The investments in technological innovation in renewables (wind and photovoltaic) are able to reduce gas imports by over 10 billion cubic metres: the annual saving is around 8 billion euros with positive impacts on bills and on the development of the industry Made in Italy: thanks to triggered investments”. This was stated by Marco Carta, CEO of Agici during the OIR 2022 Renewables Observatory Annual Workshop. Now in its XNUMXth edition, the event was an opportunity to present the Renewables Report 2022 entitled “Renewables facing the challenge of technological innovation. New ways to produce and manage”, edited by act with the support of Fichtner, Strategic Partner of the Observatory.
“Italian companies – continued Carta – are appreciated throughout the world for their cutting-edge projects: it would be nice to see institutions compete to enhance these skills at home instead of opposing them in a more or less veiled way by riding the NIMBY syndrome”.
Wind and photovoltaic are worth 10 billion cubic meters a year: Italy develops innovative renewable technological industries
In Italy there is a lively dynamic of technological innovation in the renewable energy sector which mainly affects floating wind power, new photovoltaic production technologies and the digitization of plants.
Almost 20 GW of have been deposited in our country offshore wind projects (of which 18 GW of floating offshore wind); these projects have a potential production of around 50 TWh. If developed, these plants can reduce gas consumption by 10 billion cubic meters a year. Furthermore, investments for several tens of billions of euros would be triggered in our country.
An innovative industrial supply chain is developing in Italy PV through the production of latest generation panels. These panels are 50% more efficient than the average installed in our country. Replacing the old panels with the latest generation ones would be able to increase Italy's photovoltaic production by around 10 TWh, without consuming additional land and making use of a made in Italy technology. This would save another 2 billion cubic meters of natural gas a year.
Digitization is making great strides in the sector
The pervasive digitization of Italian RES plants is able to increase national production from renewables by 5 TWh, the equivalent, for example, of 4 GW of new PV, but without any land consumption. The estimated gas savings are around 1 billion cubic meters a year.
Preventive maintenance digital technologies are able to increase the useful life of renewable plants by 5 years: this means increasing the overall production of a wind or photovoltaic park by 25%.
Furthermore, digital is able to significantly reduce i plant management costs RES: at the Italian level it is possible to save around 20 million euros a year.
