They drop i electricity consumption in Italy a March. According to the data of Terna, the company that manages the national transmission network, in February electricity demand in Italy amounted to 25,7 billion kWh, down 1,4% compared to the same month in 2023. Renewables are doing well , which covered 41,8% of electricity demand (it was 33% in March 2023). Water, photovoltaic and geothermal sources are increasing. Wind energy sources are decreasing. The coal one collapses again.
However, the electricity demand figure - seasonally adjusted and corrected by the joint effects of calendar and temperature - reverses the sign of the variation (+1,1%). This inversion was determined by the "Easter effect" and two fewer working days (21 instead of 23). Furthermore, the average monthly temperature was 0,6°C higher than in March 2023.
At a territorial level, the trend change in March 2024 was negative in the North and Center (-2,2% and -1,1% respectively) and stable in the South and Islands (+0,3%).
In the first three months of the year, the national requirement it is up by 0,7% compared to the corresponding period of 2023 (the adjusted value remains unchanged).
The industrial sector is also in decline
The Imcei index (Monthly Index of Industrial Electricity Consumption) developed by Terna, which examines the industrial consumption of companies so-called "energy-intensive", recorded a decline of 5,2% compared to March 2023, which reduces to -2,3% when observing the seasonally adjusted data corrected for the calendar effect. In particular, only the cement, lime and gypsum sector was positive.
In economic terms, the value of electricity demand seasonally adjusted and corrected by calendar and temperature effects is slightly growing compared to February 2024 (+0,7%). The Imcei index was substantially stable (-0,3%).
THEIndex Enter (Monthly Services Index), which Terna publishes on the basis of monthly electricity consumption data provided by some distribution network operators (E-Distribuzione, Unareti, A-Reti, Edyna and Deval), recorded, in the month of January , a positive change of 5,2% compared to January 2023.
The balance of energy exchanged with foreign countries is increasing
Returning to Terna's monthly budget, last month the Italian electricity demand 79,6% of it was satisfied by national production and the remaining share (20,4%) by balance of energy exchanged with foreign countries. The value of the monthly foreign balance is equal to 5,2 TWh, 23% more than in March 2023. In particular, the import-export balance is the result of the combined effect of an increase in imports (+22% ) and an almost stationary export (-0,5%). In detail, the first quarter of 2024 saw record imports, which covered 22% of national needs (equal to 17 TWh), due to the average price differentials compared to the main European stock exchanges.
Renewables, water at the top for production
Net national production was equal to 20,7 billion kWh, of which 41,8% was covered by sources renewable. The source is increasing water (+ 140,4%), PV (+ 1,4%) and Geothermal (+4,1%). The source is decreasing wind (-5,7%) and the source thermal (as a consequence of the growth of renewables and imports from abroad: -24% compared to March 2023). Production down again carbon: -87,1% compared to the same period in 2023.
In the first three months of 2024 the growth of renewables recorded in 2023, equal to 1.844 MW (of which 1.721 MW of photovoltaic). This value is 633 MW higher (+52%) compared to the same period of the previous year.
