Eni's entry into the world of solar energy was welcomed as a happy surprise on the eve of the "renewables" fair which has just ended in Milan. The six-legged dog group, through the mouth of its administrator Claudio Descalzi, has announced an overall plan for 420 megawatts of solar panels. The starting point for this new venture, developed over two years of research, is expected to be initial investments of 250 million euros with a return of 6-7%. But the general plan developed is even more ambitious and will be extended to six Italian regions and 7 foreign states where solar power will join oil and methane which have always been ENI's wealth.
The design took the many improvised solar heroes by surprise who, over the years of the easy incentives provided by the various governments, had become accustomed to fairytale investments and today find the giant Eni as a competitor. But not only.
Few remember that the Italian giant had been one of the first to approach the technique of solar panels. Around the 60s, solar panels were produced by five companies worldwide. It was Eurosolare, 40% owned by Agip and XNUMX% by an Agi – Ansaldo consortium. The technology used by the Italians had only been achieved by four other companies: Siemens Solar (USA), Solarex (Amoco), Photowat (France) and Kyocera (Japan).
Times were long gone and they were crumbled by crafty financial adventurers and not only smart financiers but also by well-known names from the Sicilian mafia and the Camorra. Today, Eni's decision to return to the intuitions and courage of the end of the century and contribute to the true rebirth of renewable energies without returning to a large manger of dispersed capital with unreliable solutions over time is welcome.
