Italy's gas-fired generation in 2024 was the lowest in six years, owing to higher generation from renewable energy sources (RES), supported by additional capacity.
Gas-fired generation fell to 10.7GW in 2024, from 11GW in 2023, accounting for 40pc of the power mix — the lowest percentage since 2019. Gas-fired output was displaced by growing renewables generation, which accounted for another 40.8pc of the mix, compared with 37.9pc in 2023.
Higher renewable generation in 2024 was supported by a rise in installed capacity, up by 11pc to 75.8GW as of November. Solar capacity rose the most on the year, up by 6.8GW but still 3.6GW below the halfway mark for the 80GW target for 2030, and wind capacity rose by about 600MW. Solar output rose on the year, up by 400MW, while onshore wind generation fell by 200MW.
While installed hydro capacity remained flat from 2023, hydro generation recorded the most significant increase, rising from 4.6GW to 5.9GW on the year and accounting for 22pc of the mix, as hydro stocks remained above the five-year norm up until the first half of April, owing to higher-than-average precipitation.
Italy aims to have 131.3GW of installed renewable capacity by 2030, as laid out in the country's national energy and climate plan. As of November, there were almost 6,000 connection requests in place for solar plants, and onshore and offshore wind farms, with a total capacity of nearly 350GW. The Italian government has approved a renewables support scheme it hopes will speed up project authorisation. And the European Commission has approved a €9.7bn scheme to develop renewable plants for a total capacity of 17.65GW.
Demand edged up on the year to 31.8GW, compared with 31.6GWin 2023, and domestic generation accounted for 26.6GW, up by 300MW on the year. Italy remained a strong net importer throughout 2024, despite net imports falling by 200MW to 5.9GW, compared with 2023. Total imports were the highest since 2018 at 6.6GW, with France and Switzerland accounting for almost 80pc. Total exports gradually increased in 2024, up by 90MW, compared with full-year 2023, reaching their highest in the fourth quarter at nearly 1GW and almost doubling from the fourth quarter of 2023. While exports to France nearly halved on the year to 70MW, combined exports to Slovenia and Montenegro recorded a 61pc increase to 272MW.
