High efficiency cogeneration in Italy: the official data of Ministry of Economic Development

Strong increase of total power produced, thanks to incentives, efficiency improves and the importance of the civil sector increases.

Last 4th November the Ministry of Economic Development submitted to the European Commission "Report on cogeneration in Italy", in response to ENER/PL/jma/pc/S-309427 request by European Commission - General Directorate for Energy. "The document makes substantially the point on the spread of cogeneration plants and on the new incentive scheme launched in September.

The report concluded that "substantial increase (approximately 3000 MW or about 40%) of the total power cogeneration" in the period 2004-2010, shows that "the policy of encouraging cogeneration, although still incomplete in the period in question, was effective ".

With this policy, therefore, more than half of the national potential for cogeneration estimated at 17,000 MW (Pursuant to Art. 6 and Attachment IV of Directive 2004/8/EC) was achieved.The increase in electricity production is even higher (over 47%). This trend – with a slight decrease only in the years 2008/2009 - confirms the predictions of the 2011 Italian Action Plan for Energy Efficiency, in which a72 TWh electricity production in 2020 from cogeneration plants fossil fuels is estimated.

Given these data, fuel consumption increased much less in proportion,  a sign of increased plant efficiency. The most widely used fuel is natural gas, which is almost always over 70% of total consumption.

The importance of the civil sector, which virtually coincides with the district heating sector has been growing over the years, from 8% in 2004 to 16% in 2010.