9 times energy
Publish date 13-09-2022
Slow as turtles, but it may be that, as in the fairy tale, the turtle comes first. The war in Ukraine has changed all perspectives for a long time. In addition to the ongoing commitment to diversify gas supplies, we need to press the accelerator on the individual and collective choices we can make about energy.
SMART SAVINGS in every area to reduce what we are wasting in various sectors: public and commercial lighting, heating, air conditioning, concentration of continuous cycle productions such as ceramics and steel in certain months, companies that reduce costs energy permanently which becomes a medium-term gain for them, up to what families can do in their own homes.
RENEWABLE SOURCES In the last 10 years important results have been achieved in Italy, but it is not enough. In 2020 about 0.8 gigawatts from new renewable energy plants. But compared to the objectives, the acceleration should be much, much greater: 7/8 gigawatts per year. It takes thousands and thousands of actions and therefore permissions and shortcuts. It takes public and private capital. Meanwhile, there are projects that can be implemented quickly for 136 gigawatts on land and 32 at sea. 30 gigawatts means 18 billion m3 less gas. The times of bureaucracy, especially for wind power, are historic: if all goes well, the authorizations require at least 5 years. For off-shore plant, 10 km at sea in Taranto: 12 years. Often (but this is not the position of many of the ecological associations) there are unjustified oppositions, where the no to any proposal prevails. Today the direction of faster permits seems to be practicable, without becoming a detriment to the landscapes. Photovoltaic and wind, but also solar. Even hydroelectric power seems to be able to get something more and better.
INTELLIGENT NETWORKS (SMART GRID) Thanks to digital technology, the national electricity distribution network would be able to be efficient with respect to the needs of the input and withdrawal points (consumption), including the intermittency of renewables. It needs to be quickly modernized. There are more electricity purchases from neighboring countries such as France and Switzerland at stake than are already underway today.
METHANE We consume 70/75 billion m3 in Italy. In February the reserves are around 50%. They should be 80/90% in October. Natural gas is used to produce about 60% of electricity (more than 10% compared to last year). With current reserves we have two months of autonomy without Russian gas. We import 38% of the requirements (29 billion m3) from Russia; 28.4% from Algeria; 4.3% from Libya; 9.6% from Azerbaijan; 4.3% from Libya; 2.4% from Northern Europe; 4.2% national production. Rebalancing of the percentages of supplies from Azerbajian, Algeria, Angola, Congo, USA, Libya, of at least a few billion m3 , is possible. Plans to increase flow - even doubling to 20 billion m3 of gas pipelines (the TAP) - coming from other points, such as Azerbajian.
GASIFIERS To diversify suppliers more means, for example, using the current gasifiers differently (20% comes from Russia, the rest from Qatar and others) to receive liquid methane gas (as from the USA) and transform it. There are 3 plants in Italy (Panigaglia, Livorno, Caverzere) which process about 40 million m3 per day. It could be as high as 57 million m3.
HYDROGEN Alongside renewable electricity, this is a way to go without uncertainties. It's easy to transport, store, distribute, use and it's clean. Better if you use hydrogen from renewable sources, but there may also be intermediate stages: from fossil sources. There are many technologies to employ it
in industry, in heavy transport, in heating where renewable sources are more difficult.
NATIONAL METHANE The extraction of methane in the Mediterranean Sea is regulated by the Ministry of Ecological Transition which defines suitable areas. Drilling in the Adriatic and under Sicily seem to be the two most practicable areas. Strong risk of environmental damage in the northern Adriatic. Own resources are limited, reserves cover approximately 7 years. We are extracting 3.13 billion m3 which can double to 7 within 1.5 / 2 years. The Sustainable Energy Transition Plan of suitable areas where to look for hydrocarbons in our territory has just been published.
BIOGAS It is produced with plants, there are about 2,000 agricultural ones, which use organic materials. Today in Italy (second country in Europe for biogas) these plants produce 1.7 billion m3 per year. It is possible that by 2030 it is possible to produce up to 6.5 billion m3 of biogas, reducing CO2 by 12.4 million t.
THE USE OF CO2 as energy is a frontier that can now be explored. It is not only about research, but already the first applications not to be neglected, even if expensive, which can be spread. But there are other feasible ideas.
NUCLEAR worldwide provides 10 to 15% of total energy. France is building 6 new plants to partially offset the closure of the old ones. The costs are very high compared to all other energies. Another issue is the research and development of new technologies: this is the fourth generation of power plants and the very different perspective of the merger which will begin to have results in 40/50 years.
Carlo Degiacomi
NP May 2022