Renewables, heat pumps but also the return of nuclear energy:what the Meloni government's Energy and Climate Plan provides

The executive strategy envisages up to 22% atomic energy in 2050.But the defects highlighted by the European Commission in last year's "report card" remain on gas and biofuels

Nuclear energy is also included in the strategy that the Italian government intends to follow to achieve net zero emissions by 2050.On Monday 1 July, the Ministry of the Environment led by Gilberto Pichetto sent the new one to Brussels Pniec, i.e. the National Integrated Energy and Climate Plan.A 491-page document, which contains the executive's strategy on energy efficiency, renewable sources and the reduction of climate-changing emissions.«A planning tool that traces our energy and climate path with great pragmatism» and which follows a «technologically neutral» approach, promises Minister Pichetto.Which means that it takes into consideration "all energy sources, without exclusions".Yet, there are good reasons to believe that the European Commission will have something to say about the Pniec sent by the Italian government, if only because some of the defects highlighted in the "report card" from last year have been re-proposed as is also in the updated version of the document.

The return of the atom

The main innovation of the new Pniec, whose latest version dates back to 2019, lies precisely in return of atomic energy.In fact, the Plan confirms the Meloni government's desire to focus on a renewable-nuclear mix, which would make it possible to guarantee "the security of the electricity system" and "price stability".The work conducted by the executive with the National Platform for Sustainable Nuclear Power (PNNS) first of all involves evaluating the potential of new small modular reactors, still in the embryonic stage but cheaper and faster to build than large power plants.The Pniec envisages two scenarios for the decarbonisation of the Italian energy system:one with and one without nuclear.In the first scenario, it is expected that the energy produced by the atom could cover from 11% to 22% of total demand in 2050.In absolute terms, this would be a nuclear generation capacity of 8 or 16 GW.However, for this scenario to come true, "appropriate and necessary legislative changes" are also necessary.

The push on renewables

The most important contribution to reducing emissions will come from renewables, which today cover 19.2% of final energy consumption.By 2030, the government aims to raise this percentage to 39.4%.More specifically, renewable sources will have to cover 63% of electricity consumption, 36% of heating and cooling consumption, 34% of transport and 54% of hydrogen used in industry.In order to meet all these objectives, Italy will have to be able to count on a renewable capacity of approximately 131 gigawatts, of which 80 are photovoltaic, 28 are wind, 19 are hydroelectric, 3 are bioenergy and 1 is geothermal.This is nearly double the 2021 renewable capacity, which stood at 74 gigawatts.

Transport and biofuels

If the Pniec prepared by the Italian government respects European objectives on renewables, the same cannot be said for other areas of intervention.In the transport sector, for example, the Mase document speaks of the need to invest in electricity, in the "reduction of private mobility", but also in biofuels, which - we read - "will have a key role already in the short term as contribute to the decarbonisation of the existing park."The problem is that this technology has been "rejected" by the European Union.The regulation which provides for a stop to the sales of new petrol and diesel cars starting from 2035 has left the door ajar for synthetic fuels (loudly requested by Germany) but not for biofuels (requested by the Italian government).

The issue of non-industrial emissions

Transport is not the only area on which the European Commission could have something to object when it evaluates the Italian Pniec.The other sore point concerns greenhouse gas emissions.European regulations make a very clear distinction between two types of emissions.On the one hand, there are those related toEmission Trading System (ETS), i.e. the emissions trading system which concerns the most energy-intensive industrial sectors.On the other hand there are the "non-ETS" sectors, namely transport, civil, agriculture, waste and small-medium industry.By 2030, Italy plans to reduce harmful emissions in these five sectors by 40.6% compared to 2005 levels.A value lower than what the European objectives would require (-43.7%).To reach this target, we read in the Pniec, "an extreme effort" will be needed.In short, measures imposed from above will not be enough.We will also need "a substantial change in lifestyle and consumption towards behaviors characterized by greater energy efficiency and lower emissions".

Renovations and heat pumps for buildings

In the 491 pages of the document there are also some mentions of the capture and storage of CO2, a technology that is currently very expensive and has produced few results.And then there is the issue of making buildings more efficient, which has become even more topical with the controversies over the Superbonus and the «green homes» directive.On this front, the government insists on the need to accelerate energy requalification interventions but is also aiming for a widespread diffusion of heat pumps, a technology considered much more efficient and sustainable than traditional boilers and which according to the government should become the "main system of heating to be installed".

And goodbye to fossil fuels?

The previous version of the Italian Pniec, sent to Brussels last year, had met some criticism by the European Commission.One of the main issues raised by Brussels concerned the farewell to fossil fuels.Together with Croatia and Slovakia, Italy is the only country that plans to increase national production of natural gas.Yet, in the updated version of the Pniec there appear to be no signs of second thoughts on the part of the government.Indeed, the updated document insists on the fact that "gas will continue to play a decisive role for the national energy system during the energy transition period".This time too, there appears to be no date by which the Italian government commits to definitively freeing itself from fossil fuels.The only source for which more precise information is provided is coal, which according to the government's plans will be definitively abandoned by 2028.

Criticisms from oppositions and ecologists

The opposition parties have attacked the strategy outlined by the government in the Pniec, criticizing above all the choice to focus on atomic energy.«Today we are giving up on building the conditions for a transition to the benefit of businesses, families and citizens while, as always, the interests of the fossil and nuclear industries are supported», attacks Sergio Costa, deputy of the 5 Star Movement and former Minister of the Environment.A similar position also comes from the Democratic Party, which defines the government's push for nuclear power as a "weapon of mass distraction".While the main environmental associations accuse the government of having drawn up an "irrational, non-participatory" document which will not allow Italy to achieve its 2030 climate objectives.«The Italian Pniec will slow down the transition process even further, with useless public investments in unachievable, expensive technologies that pose serious environmental problems», say Greenpeace Italia, Kyoto Club, Legambiente, Transport&Environment and WWF Italia in a joint note.The reference, also in this case, is to nuclear power, which would make the Italian government's strategy "totally irrational".

Cover photo credits:Dreamstime/Vaclav Volrab