National Energy Consumption: +2.1% in January. 79.1% of Electricity Demand is Met by National Production
Energy consumption increased by 2.9% in the North, 2% in the Center, and 0.4% in the South and Islands.
Terna's latest update on January's energy consumption highlights an increase in electricity use, indicating a 2.1% rise compared to the same period the previous year.
This increase brought the total consumption to 26.7 billion kWh, reflecting not only economic growth but also the challenges posed by the energy transition.
National Energy Consumption: IMCEI Index Showed a 3.5% Growth
January benefited from an additional working day compared to January 2023, with a total of 22 days, and recorded an average monthly temperature consistent with the previous year but about 1.2°C higher than the average of the last 10 years.
A regional analysis shows a uniformly positive picture, with a 2.9% increase in the North, 2% in the Center, and 0.4% in the South and Islands.
The IMCEI index, which measures industrial consumption of energy-intensive companies, showed a 3.5% growth compared to January 2023. This increase was mainly driven by sectors such as paper, steel, transport, cement, lime, and gypsum, while declines were observed in non-ferrous metals, ceramics, glass, chemicals, and engineering sectors.
Additionally, short-term electricity demand, net of seasonal, calendar, and temperature effects, showed a slight increase of 0.3% in December 2023, with the IMCEI index marking +1.8% in the same period.
Regarding energy production and importation, in January 2024, 79.1% of Italian electricity demand was covered by national production, while the remaining 20.9% was met through international exchanges. The monthly foreign balance reached 5.6 TWh, marking an 18% increase compared to January 2023, highlighting the growing importance of international interconnections for the security and economy of the Italian energy system.
National Energy Consumption: Domestic Production Stood at 21.2 Billion kWh
Net domestic production stood at 21.2 billion kWh, with renewable energies contributing 33.7% to demand coverage, up from 27.7% in January 2023.
Notably, significant increases were recorded in hydroelectric (+47.7%), wind (+22.8%), and photovoltaic (+25.5%) production, while geothermal production remained stable. This growth in renewable sources, coupled with increased imports, led to a 13.6% decrease in thermoelectric production compared to January 2023, with a marked decrease in coal production, which saw an 85% cut.
In line with these trends, Terna expects renewable capacity to continue expanding in 2024, reaching 687 MW, or 389 MW more (+131%) compared to the same period in 2023, underscoring the importance of clean and sustainable energy in the Italian energy landscape.
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