Energy transition, green light from Brussels for 1.1 billion euros of state aid in Italy

A public aid program to support the energy transition, prepared by Italy, has been approved by the European Commission.

The European Commission approved a state aid plan prepared by the Italian government, worth 1.1 billion euros.Money that should go to support “investments for the production of equipment necessary for promote the transition towards an economy a zero net emissions”.This was explained on Friday 8 March by the Brussels executive body itself, according to which the program complies "with the industrial plan of the Green deal”.On which, moreover, they were carried out numerous steps backwards.

The program provides for the provision of direct subsidies to businesses

The European green light was granted by virtue of “temporary crisis and transition framework” adopted in 2023, which aims to ensure that i sectors considered crucial for the changes necessary to accelerate the farewell to fuels fossils do not lack adequate resources.Thanks to this framework, member states can, until 31 December 2025, adopt "simple and effective" programs by limiting support to a given percentage of the costs of investment”.

As indicated by the Commission, in concrete terms the appropriations will take the form of direct grants, a maximum of 150 or 350 million euros for each beneficiary (depending on the regions of intervention).Furthermore, "in exceptional cases and subject to the presence of certain guarantees, Member States may provide greater support to individual businesses in the presence of a real risk of diversion of investments outside Europe".

The sectors that will benefit from public aid in Italy

“Producing companies will be able to benefit from the measure – Brussels further specifies relevant equipment, that is batteries, solar panelsthe, wind turbines, heat pumps, electrolysers, instruments for the capture, utilization and storage of carbon dioxide, as well as essential components designed and primarily used as direct inputs for the manufacture of such equipment or its essential raw materials necessary for their manufacture".

A rather broad mix, therefore, which also includes technologies of dubious usefulness in terms of mitigation of the climate changes:in particular as regards those useful for exploitation of hydrogen and those related to capture and storage of CO2.However, it is not known, for now, which specific sectors will benefit most from the public aid.