In a press release issued on April 20, Italian steelmakers association Federacciai expressed "perplexity regarding the draft of the new photovoltaic incentives regulation" of the Italian government. According to the draft, the yearly overall cost will be €6.5-7 billion, higher than the €5 billion expected by the Italian manufacturing industry. The cost is to be partially funded by increasing tariffs for major energy consumers.
Accordingly, Federacciai stated it is concerned about this scenario, involving unbearable increases in electrical energy costs to Italian steelmakers. The approval of the draft would harm the competitiveness of the steel industry, as it is an energy-intensive sector which has to cope with the global crisis aftermath and worldwide competitors taking advantage of easier production conditions, Federacciai said.
Consequently, Federacciai has asked the Italian economic development minister Paolo Romani to keep spending on photovoltaic energy generation under €5 billion, i.e., at a sustainable level for the Italian economy.