NATIONAL STRATEGY
NECP 2024
In 2024 an updated version of the National Energy and Climate Plan (NECP) was presented, defining national strategy towards 2030 targets. Although the largest contributions in the electricity sector are expected from photovoltaic and wind energy, all energy sources should play an important role. In NECP it is highlighted that energy resource deriving from the sea (marine energy) has great potential both for the amount of power available globally and for its power density, estimated to be over 20 times that of the wind resource, and its greater predictability. In Europe, the availability of marine energy resources is greatest along the Atlantic coast (Ireland and Scotland). However, the Mediterranean Sea also offers interesting opportunities for both energy production and technology development. From ENEA assessments it emerged that the areas with the highest wave energy potential are the western coasts of Sardinia and the Sicily Channel, where the average energy flow fluctuates between 10 and 13 kW/m.
Strengthening the role of energy from the sea in the Mediterranean now appears more of a necessity than a choice, as evidenced by the growing interest of local authorities (e.g. the Italian ANCIM - National Association of Minor Island Municipalities). A great effort is therefore underway by the national scientific community to develop devices for converting wave motion into electrical energy, following shared methodologies for the evaluation of their level of technological maturity (TRL) and converging towards a limited number of optimal solutions that avoid the dispersion of funding and skills. Research and development activities are supported by financing instruments that operate on two levels: (i) basic research for innovative technologies, and (ii) the development of pilot and demonstration projects. The objectives of national research and development activities are in line with those established by the "Ocean Energy" working group of the European Strategic Plan for Energy Technologies (SET-Plan). In this context, Italy, represented by ENEA, presides over the collaborations between the Member States interested in energy from the sea. The R&D activities are also in line with those proposed by the Joint Research Program Ocean Energy of the European Energy Research Alliance (EERA).
NRRP
The National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRRP), the national plan functional to access the funds allocated in the Next Generation EU area, aims at giving a strong impulse for a rapid restart after the pandemic impact on country society and economy. Within NRRP, a specific investment (Green Islands) provided dedicated resources to the development of innovative plants and solutions, including marine energies.
Finally, the cluster “Blue Italian Growth” (BIG), led by the Italian National Research Council (Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche - CNR), has continued its progress towards the establishment of an open structure for the aggregation of all the national actors involved in all the different sectors of the Blue Economy, including Marine Renewables. Sectoral Action Plans have been developed.
MARKET INCENTIVES
The RES 2 Ministerial Decree 06/19/2024 was issued to support the production of renewable electricity from innovative technologies or with high generation costs, through the definition of incentives that stimulate their competitiveness and allow them to contribute to achieving the 2030 decarbonisation objectives. The objective of the RES 2 is to build 4.6 GW of plants by 31 December 2028 using a series of technologies, including energy plants from tidal energy, wave motion, other forms of marine energy and offshore floating PV, with a dedicated quota of 200 MW. The first competitive procedure for such technologies is expected in 2025.
The Directive 2014/89/EU on Marine Spatial Planning is also relevant for the specific Blue Energy Sector, as it establishes a framework for the implementation of maritime spatial planning and integrated coastal management by Member States, aimed at promoting the sustainable growth of maritime economies, the sustainable development of marine areas and the sustainable use of marine resources. The Directive has been transposed into the Italian legislation via D. 201/2016.
PUBLIC FUNDING PROGRAMMES
The "Green Islands Program" was launched from the Ministry of the Environment and Energy Security. The Program has a budget of 200 million Euros provided by Investment 3.1 of the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR), Mission 2 Component 1. The Program is aimed at promoting the improvement and strengthening, in environmental and energy terms, the Municipalities of the 19 smaller non-interconnected Islands, through the promotion of renewable energies, the implementation of integrated energy and water efficiency projects, sustainable mobility, waste cycle management and circular economy. The Program is aimed at the 13 Municipalities of the 19 non-interconnected smaller islands. Among the projects presented by the municipalities in April 2022, the installations of systems for the production of renewable energy from wave motion are planned on two islands. In September 2022, through a directorial decree a formal approval was given to the presented projects, which will have to be realized in the upcoming years.
