According to Terna data, in January electricity consumption in Italy recorded a 1,5% increase compared to the same month of 2021, growth however less sustained than in the previous months (+5,6% in December and +3,8% in November). In that month, the electricity requirement in our country amounted to 27,5 billion kWh. The contribution of sources is also growing renewable energy, which at the beginning of 2021 covered around 30% of electricity demand.
The company that manages the national electricity grid specifies that this year January had one more working day (20 against 19) and an average monthly temperature in line with January 2021. The electricity demand figure, seasonally adjusted and corrected from the effects of the calendar and temperature, results in a 0,9% cyclical improvement.
Territorially, the trend change in January was positive everywhere: +1% in the North, +1,5% in the Center and +2,5% in the South and on the islands. In cyclical terms, on the other hand, the value of electricity demand, seasonally adjusted and adjusted for calendar and temperature effects, decreased by 1,8% compared to the previous month (December 2021).
As far as renewables are concerned, the photovoltaic production (+40%)mainly due to increased solar radiation. Production from thermal (+13,4%) and geothermal (+3%) sources was also positive; the sources of water (-34%) and wind (-2,8%) production are down. As regards the import-export balance, the change is equal to -24,3% due to a combined effect of an increase in exports (+27%) and a decrease in imports (-17,6%), a phenomenon which was already registered in the months of November and December 2021.
Less comforting signs fromIMCEI index: the sample of industrial consumption monitored by Terna which shows a decrease of 1,8% compared to January 2021 (and of 0,7% compared to December 2021, with seasonally adjusted data and adjusted for the calendar effect). The figure reflects a reduction in production in the steel, mechanical and chemical sectors; on the other hand, consumption in the sectors of means of transport, building materials and food is growing.
In January 2022, 91% of the Italian electricity demand was met with domestic production and the remainder (9%) with the balance of electricity exchanged with foreign countries. In detail, net national production was equal to 25 billion kWh.
