Italy is working to free itself from Russian gas. This was stated by the Minister of Ecological Transition Roberto Cingolani speaking on Agora Extra on Rai3. “We are working – he declared – to free ourselves from Russian gas in 24-30 months. We import approximately 29 billion cubic meters of gas from Russia every year, which is approximately just over 40% of the gas we import overall. These must be replaced and at the moment we have made an extremely rapid operation and by late spring around 15-16 billion cubic meters will be replaced by other suppliers in other areas of the world”, explained the minister.
In practice, therefore, Italy has already cut its needs by half of Russian gas. “Slightly less than half remains uncovered and we are working on this with new regasification plants, other long-term contracts, reinforcement of our infrastructures and therefore reasonably 24-30 months should allow us to be completely independent to replace these 29 billion meters cubes arriving from Russia”.
Gas, Cingolani: we will not reopen closed coal plants
In the meantime, however, what can happen? And to what extent can any shortage of gas – as a result of any further restrictions due to the war in Ukraine – be covered by a return to production of coal-fired plants? To the question Cingolani replied as follows:
“We are thinking in an epochal emergency. As for coal-fired plants, "we are only talking about those plants, such as Civitavecchia and Brindisi, which are still in operation and could be brought to full capacity". "Let's not reopen anything, let's not reopen the plants that are closed because the company would not be worth the expense". “It is simply a possibility in the event of an emergency that is much stronger than the current and limited in time. On the other hand, I believe that instead of disconnecting the electricity for quiet people, they more willingly accept to proceed with contingent instruments for a limited period"
Source: Minister Roberto Cingolani, Agora Extra, Rai3
Gas, Cingolani: I don't think Russia wants to turn off the taps
There are no conditions now for Russia to turn off the gas taps for Europe. But if it did, we are gearing up. “I'm sorry to talk about money and situations that affect the well-being of us citizens of the richest countries at a time like this. But to answer - the minister continues - I point out that at this moment the gas is sold at over 300 euros per megawatt hour and this gas that keeps flowing and that we buy in Europe for our industries, our heating, our electricity yields the Russians almost a billion euros a day; so I'm not sure if they want to turn off the taps”.
The Minister of Ecological Transition replies on the potential risk for the filling of storages and the accumulation of gas reserves in this contingency of war in Ukraine. “As I said we will have to be as quick as possible in becoming autonomous with respect to this supply” but “if, for some reason, the supply of gas from Russia were to be completely cut off our current reserves and the emergency contingency plan that we have made they would still give a sufficiently long time to arrive at the good season. We still have some storage, we have other situations that can be put to work. As I said in April we should have between 15 and 16 billion cubic meters, half of that gas from other sources, which means that in fact we won't have to stop anything”.
