On Friday, May 22, Italian Energy Intensive Consulting S.r.l. (EIC), a subsidiary of Interconnector Energy Italia S.C.p.A., hosted the panel discussion “Scenarios, Opportunities, and Key Players in the Energy Transition: The Perspective of Renewable Energy Producers and Energy-Intensive End-Consumers,” which highlighted a shared appeal: ensuring continuity in support mechanisms for energy-intensive industries, accelerating investments in renewable energy sources, and promoting long-term Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) between manufacturing and clean energy producers.
The core of the debate, which brought together institutions, the Italian energy services manager (GSE), and key sector representatives, focused on the unanimous request to evolve the current mechanism into a structural “Energy Release 3.0,” capable of providing stability and certainty to the Italian industrial system beyond the 2027 deadline. The panel featured key figures from the national energy landscape, including Federico Boschi (MASE, Ministry of Environment and Energy Security), Attilio Punzo and Davide Valenzano (GSE), Marco Ravazzolo (Confindustria), and Antonio Gozzi (President of Duferco Italia Holding, Federacciai, and Interconnector), with moderation by Gianluca Comin (Comin & Partners).
The meeting served as an opportunity to review the outcomes of the Energy Release 2.0 experience, a measure that introduced an innovative model for direct relations between industrial demand and green production under the coordination of the GSE. As previously reported by SteelOrbis, Energy Intensive Consulting supported 48 energy-intensive companies in contract negotiations, managing a total volume of approximately 5.2 TWh (representing eight percent of the total allocated by the GSE nationwide) and involving leading international renewable energy operators.
“The experience gained with Energy Release 2.0 demonstrates the feasibility of building a virtuous model capable of establishing a direct relationship between energy-intensive companies and renewable energy producers, delivering tangible benefits for both the competitiveness of the manufacturing system and the country’s energy security,” stated Amedeo Rosatelli, President of Energy Intensive Consulting. He further emphasized how this system allows consumers to source renewable energy at prices aligned with the actual Levelized Cost of Energy (LCOE) of the plants.
Significant attention was dedicated to the strategic role of PPAs and the opportunities introduced by Article 4 of the Italian Bills Decree. This legislation aims to foster long-term contracting by assigning the GSE a central role, including acting as a guarantor of last resort. The afternoon session featured prominent entities from the renewable energy sector, such as Sunprime Holdings, Qualitas Energy Italia, and Peridot Solar, which shared insights on the dynamics and outlook of the PPA market in Italy and across Europe.
However, to make these instruments truly effective, a stable regulatory framework is required to enable companies to plan their energy supplies and to stimulate new investments, not only in green generation but also in energy storage systems. “We believe it is fundamental to make all support measures for the Italian energy-intensive industry structural and stable, introducing as soon as possible an 'Energy Release 3.0' capable of supporting the national industrial system beyond 2027, while simultaneously encouraging new investments in renewable energy production and the widespread adoption of long-term PPAs,” concluded Antonio Gozzi.
