ROME (ITALPRESS) – Less dependent on foreign supplies and more turned to renewables, amid shrinking energy consumption by Italian households. This is highlighted in the Annual Report on the National Energy Situation 2024, produced by the MASE. The Report, with data referring to 2023, is online on the Ministry’s website and was presented in Rome, at the headquarters of the Gestore dei Servizi Energetici, by the Minister of the Environment and Energy Security, Gilberto Pichetto Fratin.”The Report, which is the result of valuable work between institutions and realities of reference in the sector,” explains Minister Pichetto, “gives us back the image of a country that, despite the difficult international conjunctures, is going in the direction also hoped for by our PNIEC: that of greater energy security and the development of renewable sources. “Italy’s dependence on foreign countries is lessened: the share of net imports in relation to gross energy availability falls from 79.2 percent in 2022 to 74.6 percent last year. Strong decline in imports of solid fuels (-2922 ktoe, -38%), renewable energy and bioliquids (-621 ktoe, -22%) and natural gas (-8,823 ktoe, -15%). Less marked was the containment of net import of oil and petroleum products, with (-1926 ktoe, -2.5%), offset by a 15% growth in net import of electricity. Domestic production is up by 1,461 ktoe, (+4.2% over 2022), mainly attributable to increased energy produced from renewable sources.In continuity with previous years, renewable sources of energy in 2023 have found wide diffusion in all sectors of use: from electricity, with solar and wind sources progressively growing, to thermal driven mainly by the diffusion of heat pumps, to transportation with biofuels and biomethane; the share of total energy consumption covered by renewables is estimated at 19.8%, up about 0.7 percentage points from 2022.Also of note is the 10.3% (-7 billion cubic meters) reduction in gas demand in Italy, justified by the persistent stagnation, which impacts all economic and production sectors, the limited use of gas for power generation, the containment plan in consumption, and particularly mild weather conditions during 2023.2023 showed price declines, particularly for businesses: decreases of 25% in electricity and 18% in natural gas compared to 2022. In 2023, Italian households consumed 49,315 Ktoe of energy, 4.3% less than in 2022, spending 101.6 billion (down 4.2% on 2022). 55.8% of the energy used is for domestic use and the remaining 44.2% for private transportation. Domestic use (reduced, in quantity, by 8% compared to 2022) was met mainly with natural gas, biomass, and electricity. For own-account transport, which cost households about 47.5 billion euros (+0.5 percent), mostly diesel and gasoline were consumed. Between 2022 and 2023, there is a decrease in total energy spending of 4.2 percent, leading to about 101.6 billion euros at current prices.
– Photo Agency Photogram –
(ITALPRESS).
