1. FONDERIA OXFORD
POLITICHE PER L’ITALIA
ITALY
AND
ENERGY
Where
we
are,
and
where
we
are
going
Simone
Falco
15
May
2011

2. We will talk about:
• How Italy produces energy
• How other countries produce energy
• Kyoto protocol
• Blue Map Scenario
• Classic energy sources
• Alternative energy sources
• The real green energy!
Italy and Energy 15 May 2011
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3. Before starting
Unless is explicitly indicated all the data and the graphs in
the presentation refer only to electric energy!
The other kind of energies – mostly heating and transport –
are not considered because of the different mechanisms
and issues involved. Nevertheless they are massively
involved in the global warming and the CO2 production.
Italy and Energy 15 May 2011
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4. How Italy produces energy
Electricity production in Italy (2009)
Other Import*
renewables 14%
6% Gas
44%
Solid fuel
Hydroelectric
12%
14%
Other fuels
5%
Oil
5%
Font: Terna
* The graph does not take in account of the energy exported, i.e. the net energy imported is lower (11%)
Italy and Energy 15 May 2011
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5. How other countries produce energy
ITALY FRANCE SPAIN
Thermal
TOT=319.1 TWh TOT=574.0 TWh TOT=313.4 TWh Idric
Eolic
GERMANY UK EU 27 Photovoltaic
Geothermal
Nuclear
TOT=633.2 TWh TOT=390.0 TWh TOT=3359.8 TWh
Font: Terna
Italy and Energy 15 May 2011
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6. Kyoto protocol
Kyoto protocol commit the countries that have signed the
treaty (USA does not) to reduce – within 2012 – their
collective greenhouse gas emissions by 5.2% from the 1990
level.
Obviously this target pass through the production of greener
electric energy, but is not the only process involved, so it is
better to refer on a plan focused only on electric energy
production.
Just to know
For Italy that means a reduction of 6.5%
Italy was fined by €555 Million in 2010, that can become 840
in 2012 because is not in line with the reductions!!!
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7. Blue Map Scenario (1/2)
The IEA (in 2009) created the so-called “Blue Map Scenario”
with the goal to reduce the global greenhouse gas emissions
by 50% within 2050. According with this scenario European
countries have to reduce the emission by 75%
Font: IEA – ETP (2010)
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8. Blue Map Scenario (2/2)
Font: IEA – ETP (2010)
Italy and Energy 15 May 2011
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9. Blue Map Scenario Italy: ENEA calculation
Fuel Switch (Final users)
2020 2050
Efficiency (final users)
4% 4%
Less enenergivorous behaviour
10%
25%
Nuclear 11% 25%
CCS 9%
50%
16%
11%
Renewables
5% 30%
Efficiency and fuel switch (Elect.
generation)
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10. How Italy produces energy
Electricity production in Italy (2009)
Other Import*
renewables 14%
6% Gas
44%
Solid fuel
Hydroelectric
12%
14%
Other fuels
5%
Oil
5%
Font: Terna
* The graph does not take in account of the energy exported, i.e. the net energy imported is lower (11%)
Italy and Energy 15 May 2011
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11. Classic energy source
Font: Assorcarboni (from IEA)
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12. Classic energy sources: Natural gas (1/2)
Natural Gas in Italy (2008)
100%
Norway
6% 90%
Produced
9% Algeria 80% Other
Nertherland 31%
10% 70%
60% Electricity
production
Libia 50%
13%
Civil
40%
Russia 30%
31% Industry
20%
10%
0%
Font: Terna
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13. Classic energy sources: Natural gas (2/2)
• For the same energy produced:
Ø Emits less CO2 (about 25%) than other fossil fuels
Ø Emits 1800 times less PM than coal
• There could be underwater field than could be exploited as the
deepwater mining technology improves
• Gas reserves are concentrated in few - and politically instable –
countries (Algeria, Russia, Libia)
• Transport and storage are complex
• It will finish in less than 100 years (63 according to BP statistics)
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14. Classic energy sources: Coal
• Is the safer fossil fuel: nonflammable, not-explosive
• Is not ground or water pollutant
• Easy to transport and store
• More than 100 countries can supply coal
• Is the cheaper and more labor intensive fossil energy source
Ø (If Italy used as carbon as the rest of EU energy would cost 10% less, and
would occupy 3 times more people in energy production)
• It will finish in less than 200 years (160 according to BP statistics)
• Emits higher quantities of PM and CO2 than natural gas
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15. Imported Energy (1/2)
More than half of the imported energy is from Switzerland, 70% of which is
from renewable fonts (even if about a third has not “Origin warranty”, so
theoretically it could come from hydroelectric pumped during the night with
nuclear energy).
The few energy imported by Austria is almost entirely from renewables
fonts.
Considering that Slovenia has a mix with 38% of nuclear, it can be assumed
Italy import 1800 GWh produced in nuclear plants.
Finally we can assume all the energy imported by France – mostly during
the night – is from nuclear, while the exported one (around 10%) is almost
entirely used to supply the peaks of the electric system, not much flexible
because of the age of the plants.
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16. Imported Energy (2/2)
Considering also the import, the electric energy in Italy in 2009 was
produced mainly by fossil fuels (72%), than by renewables sources (22%)
and finally only a small amount by nuclear (6%).
The French nuclear energy imported in 2009 was only the 4,8% of the total!
Moreover Italy does not really need to import energy from France, but
French nuclear plants cannot module the produced energy, so for Italy is
more convenient to buy this energy during the night turning off the less
efficient plants!!!
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17. Eolic Energy
• High energy yield ratio (80)
• Amortization in 6-8 years
• NIMBY politics (is noisy and disfigures the scenery)
• Energy production variable and not manageable
• Has not the same incentives of the photovoltaic energy (at the moment)
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18. Photovoltaic energy
• Possibility to build small domestic plants
• Low maintenance and no noise because there are not any moving part
• Low voltage electricity (not suitable for industries)
• Low energy yield ratio (4-7)
• Low efficiency (10-20%)
• Energy production extremely variable and not manageable
• The “green certificate” system is being changed
Ø Energy was paid up to 4 time the usual price for 20 years: highest
incentives in the world!!!
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19. Combined power plant (1/2)
In Germany it was realized a combined power plant that consist of 3 wind
parks (12,6 MW), 20 solar power plants (5,5 MW), 4 biogas systems (4,0
MW) and a pump storage (1060 MW, 80h).
With this pilot project the participating
parties impressively showed that
renewable energy can cover 100 % of
electricity demand.
The fluctuation in the production of wind
turbine and solar cells are controlled by
supplying extra energy from the biogas
systems, or storing the energy surplus
with the pump.
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20. Combined power plant (2/2)
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21. The real green energy
David JC MacKay* showed how in UK the sum of all
the ideal energy deliverable by renewable sources is
not enough to provide for the current energy request.
Moreover even the renewable sources are not
completely “green” for various reasons (manufacturing
processes, disposal, environmental impact, etc…), so
the only way to produce a completely “green” MWh is to
do not use it!!!
It can sound naive, but it is the only way to build a
sustainable system without fossil and nuclear energy!
* Professor in the department of Physics at Cambridge University and chief scientific adviser
to the UK Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC)
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22. Italy and Energy 15 May 2011
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