ROME (ITALPRESS) – An axis between Italy and Germany so that the “twin industries” can get back on their feet and secure their future. This is how Energy Security and Environment Minister Gilberto Pichetto Fratin, in an interview with la Repubblica, explains the strategy to relieve Europe’s top two manufactures, which “today are living an emergency induced also by the high gas prices, because no manufacture goes ahead if it pays twice as much for energy as its competitors.” The plan will be enucleated in the meeting between the Forza Italia politician and Vice Chancellor Robert Habeck on Jan. 21 in Rome to inaugurate the South Corridor.
For the minister, if “hydrogen will be concrete in a few years, our duty is to create the conditions to get there strong: that is why it is important to confront with Germany and Austria on energy issues.” In addition, understandings can be found “on a new cap on the price of gas and its decoupling from the price of electricity. On the first point we have already seen that financial speculation can damage the market, with serious effects on bills. In the last month we are not at those levels: we see more of a physiological speculation for closed positions towards the end of 2024, when the news of the failure to reach an agreement between Ukraine and Russia brought down a major supplier. That lifted prices, which now seem to be coming back down. But if it goes higher, on 80-90 euros per megawatt hour, it would mean that speculation is financial. And Europe must be ready to respond.” On the second point, “of course it cannot be an Italian-only scheme: we have dozens of interconnections, doing it only in Italy would make Italians pay the bills of others. The ‘marginal priceè, based on the most expensive source of production has been fine for decades. But now it needs to be modified, finding new convergences between countries with different interests,” the minister concludes.
(ITALPRESS).
-Photo: Photogram Agency-
Energy, for Pichetto needs Italy-Germany pact to cut prices
