Historic Milestone for Renewables in Italy: In May, They Covered 52.5% of Electricity Demand

According to data collected by Terna, the company responsible for managing the national transmission network, electricity demand in May 2024 reached 24.7 billion kWh, marking an increase of 1.9% compared to May 2023.

This increase, although only partially recovering from the 7.4% drop observed in the same month of the previous year, is significant considering it was achieved with the same number of working days (22) and a substantially unchanged average monthly temperature compared to May 2023.

Italian Energy System: Consumption Remained Stable Compared to May 2023

The analysis of electricity demand, after adjusting the data for seasonality, calendar, and temperature effects, indicates that consumption remained stable compared to May 2023. This balance reflects moderate growth in the industry, which saw a 1.4% increase, and more vibrant growth in services.

Geographically, Northern and Central Italy saw a 1.8% increase in demand, while Southern Italy and the Islands recorded a 2.3% increase. These data highlight more sustained growth in the southern and insular regions compared to the rest of the country.

Analyzing the first five months of the year, national electricity demand increased by 1.1% compared to the same period in 2023, with an adjusted value showing a 0.2% increase.

The IMCEI, Terna’s Monthly Index of Industrial Electricity Consumption, which monitors the consumption of energy-intensive companies, recorded a 1.4% increase compared to May 2023. However, this variation shows no difference when the data are adjusted for seasonality and calendar effects. Analyzing individual sectors, there is growth in the paper, steel, transport, and food sectors, while sectors such as engineering, ceramics, and glass registered a decrease.

Renewables Cover 52.5% of Electricity Demand

Regarding Terna’s monthly data, last month, 84.7% of Italian electricity demand was met by national production, with the remaining 15.3% covered by the balance of energy exchanged with foreign countries. The monthly foreign balance was 3.8 TWh; overall, net imports increased by 5.6% between January and May 2024.

Renewable energies covered 52.5% of electricity demand, compared to 42.3% in May 2023, marking the highest value ever recorded on a monthly basis. Hydroelectric production increased by 34.7%, photovoltaic by 36.3%, and wind power by 10.5%.

Conversely, geothermal and thermal sources recorded decreases of 4.3% and 14.6%, respectively. More specifically, coal production in May covered about 1% of the total demand, and since the beginning of 2024, coal’s contribution has remained below 2% of national demand.

The spread of renewable energies, therefore, continues to accelerate. Operational renewable capacity in the first five months of 2024 increased by 42% compared to the same period last year, with a specific increase of 3015 MW.

This significant increase in renewable capacity is a clear signal of the growing importance of green energies in the national energy mix, contributing not only to the reduction of CO2 emissions but also to the country’s energy security.