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Reuters
07-07-2025
- Business
- Reuters
Italy to discuss gas measure for energy-intensive firms by month's end
MILAN, July 7 (Reuters) - Italy's government will discuss a long-awaited measure to offer gas at reduced prices to energy-intensive companies by the end of this month, the country's energy minister said on Monday. "We couldn't start earlier because the discussion with the European Union was still open. We didn't have the OK yet," Energy Minister Gilberto Pichetto Fratin told Radio24 in an interview. The initiative will follow the European Commission's approval in June of Italy's "Energy Release 2.0" scheme, which supports power-intensive industries and the nation's green transition. Under the scheme, electricity is provided at a fixed price of 65 euros per megawatt-hour in its initial phase, significantly below last year's average of 108.5 euros per megawatt-hour. Pichetto Fratin said the new gas measure could mirror the mechanism used for electricity under the approved scheme. However, the minister cautioned about potential challenges in securing suppliers willing to offer gas at discounted rates. "Discounted gas bidders are not so easy to find," he said. Gas prices heavily influence electricity costs in Italy, where more than 40% of electricity is generated from gas-fired power plants. Industries such as steel manufacturing, ceramics, and glass production are among the country's most gas-intensive sectors.
Reuters
27-06-2025
- Business
- Reuters
EU approves Italian energy scheme to support power-intensive industries
MILAN, June 27 (Reuters) - The European Commission has approved an Italian government scheme supporting power-intensive industries and the country's green transition, Italy's energy minister said on Friday. The Commission deemed the initiative, named "Energy Release 2.0", compatible with European Union internal market rules and state aid regulations, Gilberto Pichetto Fratin said in a statement. The scheme will provide electricity at a fixed price of 65 euros per megawatt-hour in its first phase. Last year the average price in Italy was 108.5 euros per megawatt-hour, according to government statistics. In return, beneficiaries must repay the advantage by investing in new renewable energy capacity, either directly or through third parties selected via auctions managed by Italy's energy agency GSE. "This is not a privilege but a tool to protect jobs, strengthen strategic supply chains, and attract investment," Pichetto said in a statement, thanking the European Commission for a "constructive dialogue". The head of Italy's main business lobby Confindustria last month urged the government to put in place urgent measures to lower energy costs, saying that the industrial sector suffered from power prices that were more than 35% higher than the European average.
