Terna: 39.5 GW installed wind and photovoltaic capacity reached in june

According to data from Terna, operator the Italian national electricity grid operator, installed capacity from wind and photovoltaic power in Italy reached 39.5 GW in June. Considering all renewable sources, in the first half of 2023, there was an increase in capacity in Italy of almost 2.5 GW, a value that is 1.4 GW (+120%) greater than the 2022 figure. In the last 18 months, monthly installations of new renewable capacity basically quintupled, going from 110 MW per month in January 2022 to nearly 500 MW per month in June 2023.

Italy’s electricity demand in June totalled 25.4 billion kWh overall, 9.2% less than the same period in 2022. The company’s IMCEI index, which considers the industrial consumption of around 1,000 energy-intensive companies, recorded a decrease of 5.8% compared to June last year. There was an increase in the vehicles and food sectors, while all other sectors, including chemicals, were down.

Comparing the first six months of the year with the same period in 2022 reveals substantial differences. Cumulative electricity demand in Italy is down 5.3% (-4.3% adjusted value), with the IMCEI index (-6.4%) and thermoelectric production (-16.6%) both down as well. However, energy from renewable sources (+4.3%) and the value of imports (+17.6%) are both up.

More specifically, June had the same number of working days (21) and an average monthly temperature that was a whole 2.3°C lower than June 2022, leading to lower consumption for cooling systems, estimated at 1.3 TWh. The figure for electricity demand, adjusted for seasonal and temperature effects, was therefore down by 4.9%. At the regional level, the June 2023 trend was negative across the country: -8.8% in the North, -10% in Central Italy and -9.6% in the South and on the Islands.

In comparative terms, the figure for electricity demand, adjusted for seasonal and temperature effects, was basically unchanged (+0.1%) from May 2023. Overall, in the second quarter of 2023, the figure, adjusted for seasonal effects, shows a decrease of 1.4% on the first quarter. This result is also confirmed by changes in monthly figures for the IMCEI index. The monthly value remained unchanged from May (+0.2%), while the second quarter was down compared to the first (-3%).

In June 2023, 87.3% of electricity demand in Italy was met by national production and the remainder (12.7%) by the balance of electricity exchanged with foreign countries. Net domestic production amounted to 22.3 billion kWh, down 7.9% compared to June 2022. Renewables generated a total of 11.3 billion kWh, covering 44.3% of electricity demand (against 35% in June 2022). Generation from renewables in June can be broken down as follows: 43.5% hydroelectric, 31.4% photovoltaic, 12.1% biomass, 9.2% wind and 3.8% geothermal.

Recovery of hydroelectric generation (+44%) and the growth in photovoltaic (+10%) continue due, respectively, to higher rainfall and an increase in the installed plants of approximately 3.8 GW compared to June 2022. There was a significant reduction in thermal production (-22%) and wind (-19.1), and a slight increase in geothermal production (+1.6%). Relative to the import/export balance, the change amounted to -17.2% due to the combined effect of lower imports (-12.7%) and higher exports (+97.5%).

A detailed analysis of provisional 2022 and 2023 monthly electricity demand is available in the publication “Monthly Report on the Electricity System”, under the section “Electric System>>Dispatching>>Operating Data>>Monthly Report” at www.terna.it.