2024-02-06 07:30:44
Italy, which closed its four nuclear power plants following the Chernobyl accident, has never really stopped its activities in this sector, and is seriously considering using nuclear power to decarbonize its energy mix.
Italy is highly dependent on the outside world for its energy supply. In 2021, nearly 80% of the energy consumed by the country was imported, making the country the second largest net importer of electricity in the world.
Currently, the Italian energy mix is made up of almost 80% fossil fuels :
- 42% gas;
- 36% oil;
- 4% coal.
To supply itself with gas, Italy today mainly call to Algeria, since the start of the war between Russia and Ukraine. Indeed, Russia supplied almost 40% of the gas imported by Italy before 2020. This figure is now around 10%.
However, Italy has considerably developed its renewable energy production potential over the past ten years. In 2020, renewable energies represented nearly 18% of the country’s final gross energy consumption, beyond the objectives set by the government (17%).
Hydroelectricity plays an increasingly dominant role in energy production on the peninsula: between 12 and 17% of Italian electricity production is of hydroelectric origin, the country is even one of the first to have implemented hydroelectric installations at the end of the 19th century. So, in 2022, the country ranks seventh among hydroelectricity producers in Europe (5.3% of the total production of the old continent). Italy even ranks first in Europe in terms of security measures. pumped turbineswith 14% of the European total, and ranks fourth in the world, behind the Chinese, American and Japanese giants.
Geothermal electricity is also an Italian specificity. In 2019, the country ranked sixth in the world – 6 TWh – in terms of electricity production via geothermal sources, all of the production plants being located in Tuscany.
With regard to more traditional renewable sources of production, namely wind power and photovoltaics, even if the country has significant potential for these two sources of production, the administrative difficulties linked to the establishment of new infrastructures slow down their growth. A situation which is currently the subject of simplifications, and which should allow the country to be consistent with the objectives set by the EU for 2030.
Indeed, according to forecasts linked to measures Fit For 55the renewable energy capacities installed in Italy should increase from 58 GW in 2021, to 128 GW in 2030, increasing the share of renewable energies in the transalpine electricity mix from 41 to 72%. To succeed in making this ambition a reality, however, it will be necessary to support the growth of renewable energies with significant storage and network infrastructures to integrate these energies effectively into the transalpine network.
Finally, Italy, which has participated in recent months in meetings of the Nuclear Alliance as an observer, is watching with particular attention the renewed interest of several European countries in the atom. And for good reason, the prospect of a return to nuclear power would allow Italy to reduce its dependence in terms of energy supply. The latter was 73% in 2020, while the average in Europe is around 58%. Also, the Italian nuclear industry is still very active and the government has just announced the relaunch of nuclear research.
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