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University of Perugia

CRB Biomass Research Centre

BIOENERGY IN ITALY

Via Duranti - Str. Santa Lucia Canetola, sn - 06125 - PERUGIA Tel. +39 (0) 75 5853806 Fax +39 (0) 75 5153321

P.I. 00448820548

University of Perugia

CRB Biomass Research Centre

INTRODUCTION The International energetic landscape is characterized by uncertainty caused by current economic crisis that hit western economies, with difficult bank credit availability for investments. Economic crisis is also accompanied by geo-politic unstable caused by bloody riots exploding in the Mediterranean Arab countries, influencing economy through the cost of Brent crude. European Energy requirements are strongly depending on fossil production, in a contest of quick increasing of demand from emergent countries such as China, India and Africans, and in a situation of spread nuclear energy repulsion caused by Fukushima disaster. The fight against climatic change must take place through acceleration of investments in Renewable energy making Europe free from fossil market dependence.

EUROPEAN TARGETS European Union is currently not manage to produce even half of its energy: in 2009 the European countries were forced to import from abroad more than 50% of resources to meet its energy needs, with some countries, including which Italy, even more than 80% (see on table 1).
Table 1: Energy production and consumption.

2009

Primary Gross domestic Selfproduction (Mtep) consumption (Mtep) sufficiency

France Germany Italy U.K. Spain Ue27

128,5 127,5 27,3 156,3 29,6 812,2

262,7 326,6 168,9 206,8 130,2 1.702,8

48,9% 39,0% 16,2% 75,6% 22,7% 47,7%

In 2009 the European Council approved the Climate-Energy Package, which establishes different objectives in 2020 to combat climate change, including renewable energy to 20% on final consumption of energy for EU, developed with the different national targets. In the picture below, the real situation and the shared target are represented (see on figure 1).

Via Duranti - Str. Santa Lucia Canetola, sn - 06125 - PERUGIA Tel. +39 (0) 75 5853806 Fax +39 (0) 75 5153321

P.I. 00448820548

University of Perugia

CRB Biomass Research Centre

Fig. 1: Real state and targets on 2020.

About Italy, the energetic situation is described below (table 2). The shared target to 2020 is the production of 17% of renewable energy on the final consumption. The percentages are divided to the kinds of energy: electric, thermal and for transport.
Table 2: Italy, energetic characteristics.

Italy TOTAL Electric Energy Thermal Energy Transport

2009 8,9 % 20,1 % 8,2 % 3,8 %

Target 2020 17 % 26,4 % 17,1 % 10,1 %

The Italian situation about the gross Renewable energy (ER) consumption is shown below (see on figure 2) and it is possible to understand how Italian situation on renewable is lower then EU average. Biomass in EU has a great role: it is almost half of energy consumption, in a percentage of 70% of the total renewable production. The detailed presentation of energy production from biomass is shown in the table 3, organized for every different kind of biomass.

Via Duranti - Str. Santa Lucia Canetola, sn - 06125 - PERUGIA Tel. +39 (0) 75 5853806 Fax +39 (0) 75 5153321

P.I. 00448820548

University of Perugia

CRB Biomass Research Centre

Fig. 2: Renewable energies in different UE States. Table 3: Different renewable energies production.

Via Duranti - Str. Santa Lucia Canetola, sn - 06125 - PERUGIA Tel. +39 (0) 75 5853806 Fax +39 (0) 75 5153321

P.I. 00448820548

University of Perugia

CRB Biomass Research Centre

THE ITALIAN SITUATION The actual energy production in Italy is given by the following sources (both thermal+electrical):

The bioenergy production is given by wood and wood residues, liquid biofuels, biogas, biodegradable MSW (see the following figure):

This is the distribution of the biomass plants in Italy:

Via Duranti - Str. Santa Lucia Canetola, sn - 06125 - PERUGIA Tel. +39 (0) 75 5853806 Fax +39 (0) 75 5153321

P.I. 00448820548

University of Perugia

CRB Biomass Research Centre

And by region and source:

Italian Region Abruzzo Basilicata Calabria Campania Emilia Romagna Friuli Venezia Giulia Lazio Liguria Lombardia Marche Molise Piemonte Puglia Sardegna Sicilia Toscana Trentino Alto Adige Umbria Valle d'Aosta Veneto TOTAL

SOLID BIOMASS [MW] 100,4 1,4 42,8 336,6 12,6 155,0 75,3 13,5 40,8 24,6 593,4 1,2 0,8 8,2 5,3 25,0 1436,9

BIOGAS [MW] 1,2 0,2 2,7 1,5 24,2 3,0 2,9 0,3 87,4 1,5 29,3 1,0 0,8 3,1 9,2 2,4 0,1 38,4 209,1

BIOLIQUIDS [MW] 1,5 4,7 88,8 108,6 0,8 26,8 48,9 2,8 9,4 188,5 36,9 13,5 33,9 24,8 7,8 20,8 618,6

So, 60% plants are in two Regions: Sardegna and Friuli. This is mainly due to the co-combustion conversion of 2 big existing plants. The global power is 2264 MW.

Via Duranti - Str. Santa Lucia Canetola, sn - 06125 - PERUGIA Tel. +39 (0) 75 5853806 Fax +39 (0) 75 5153321

P.I. 00448820548

University of Perugia

CRB Biomass Research Centre

In application of Dir. 2009/28/CE, Italy must increase biomass production to reach an energy production of 9,8 Mtep, about 45% of total renewable energies at 2020. Referring to the 2009 situation, to reach the targets for 2020, electric energy must be increased of +146%, thermal energy of +101%, bioethanol of + 413%, biodiesel of + 77%. Diagrams are shown below (figure 3).

Fig. 3: Energy increases to 2020 targets in Italy.

The strategy to reach the targets to 2020 are defined in Italy by Biomass-PAN (National Action Plan). ELECTRIC ENERGY: New decrees must be approved with mechanism of feed-in and feed-in premium for plants of less than 5 MW of electric power. If more than 5 MW, biomass traceability and source must be clearly defined. Incentives would promote micro-mini cogeneration, the use of residual biomass also from little biogas plants, little biomass chains, the use of waste and other industrial products THERMAL ENERGY Decrees to promote little powered plants, production of biomethane from biomas and its injection to the natural gas grid. Carbon credits were prorogates for more production timetable. TRANSPORTS 2nd generation biofuels must be incentived by consumption certificates and obliged mixing with fossil fuels.

Via Duranti - Str. Santa Lucia Canetola, sn - 06125 - PERUGIA Tel. +39 (0) 75 5853806 Fax +39 (0) 75 5153321

P.I. 00448820548

University of Perugia

CRB Biomass Research Centre

The Italian energetic potential from biomass is shown in the table below (table 4): it is 8,3 Mtep divided in: energetic crops, residual biomass and zootechnic slurry.
Table 4: Biomass potential in Italy.

Energetic crops 750.000 ha Electric energy Thermal energy Transport total 0,5 1,3 0,5 2,3

Residuals 11,7 mln of dry fraction 0,7 1,9 2,6

Zootechnical 45 mln of tons of slurry 0,9 2,4 3,3

Via Duranti - Str. Santa Lucia Canetola, sn - 06125 - PERUGIA Tel. +39 (0) 75 5853806 Fax +39 (0) 75 5153321

P.I. 00448820548

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