85% of projects authorized. The ranking of the regions – Corriere.it

In 2022 the photovoltaic plausible that the threshold of 5 GW has been reached. In 2023 the partial trend in further improvement but almost exclusively based on the Sicilian performance (85% of the national authorized in 2023). If the trend of the last 15 months remains unchanged, approximately 25 GW will be authorized over the next five years. In the last few months there has been a change of pace: the projects under investigation have gone from 47% (January 2023) to 74% (April 2023). The data emerges from the Regions2030 study edited by Elemens and Public Affairs Advisors, which Corriere is able to anticipate. In its session of May 4 – reads the report – the Council of Ministers unblocked 13 photovoltaic projects for a total of 619 MW. According to analyses, more than 60 projects (over 3 GW) are in an advanced stage of the procedure and the Vias could be issued shortly.

Sicily hub of renewables

The most attractive region in the photovoltaic sector is Sicily, where the French group Engie has just inaugurated an agrivoltaic park: first for requests and for authorizations issued despite the success rates remaining low due to the enormous pipeline under development. The statements of the president Renato Schifani cast shadows on the future, but they don’t seem to herald a halt in the sector. It is more difficult to authorize wind power, despite the many projects present. But Lazio is also virtuous and has long been the second authorized region with a constant flow of authorizations, which also overcame the opposition of the local superintendences at the TAR. The governor recently expressed concern about the high concentration of projects, particularly in Tuscia, where 2/3 of the photovoltaic projects are present.

Puglia and Basilicata almost still

Together with Sicily, Puglia is the most attractive region for solar investors despite the very low level of authorizations issued in the last 5 years (about 200 MW) we take as a good omen – they comment – the albeit few authorizations issued in recent months. Things are better in wind power where almost 600 MW have been authorized. For the moment, the strong interest by operators in Basilicata is not matched with an adequate authorization performance. A slight improvement can be glimpsed on photovoltaics (56 MW authorized in 2022), while on the wind front the already not encouraging performances of recent years are even worsening.

Calabria and Campania growing

Pipeline data suggest that Calabria does not hold the top positions in terms of attractiveness to operators. Nonetheless, in 2022 much of the PV presented was authorized (and zero wind, on which it is also difficult to obtain variations). The Governor joined Schifani in the request for more renewable resources to be allocated to the Region. Champion of wind energy (albeit in the context of modest national performance), Campania is also growing a lot in photovoltaics: the start took place late compared to other Regions, but the first authorized projects – also thanks to a good responsiveness from officials – are arriving.

Sardinia and Piedmont for industry

Sardinia is the promised land of industrial photovoltaics (36% of projects authorized in Italy), while agriculture is struggling. Despite the abundance of wind and the many projects in the pipeline, only two projects authorized in the last two years. The Einstein Telescope has blocked numerous projects in the North of the Region. In Piedmont, the number of authorizations for photovoltaics in Piedmont is slightly decreasing (over half of which is located in an industrial area): the step remains acceptable, however, especially when taking into account the not very high number of applications. The little remaining wind power is all concentrated in the lower Cuneo area.

Emilia-Romagna and Piedmont

The attractiveness of the North is growing and with it the share of projects in Emilia-Romagna, the first region for authorization in the North (with good success rates) – however, some complexities regarding the Regional legislation are discounted (for each hectare of PV, 10 are needed cultivated). There are very few wind projects, all located in the Apennines. With ER and Piedmont, it welcomes a large part of the photovoltaic projects in the north (and obviously no wind). The issue of land use was felt, but nevertheless the number of projects authorized (and presented) increased compared to previous years. We expect operators’ attention to the Veneto to increase.

Friuli and Tuscany

Not many solar operators who have ventured into Friuli have so far found a fertile environment, in which plants on agricultural land and in industrial areas have been authorized in appreciable quantities and with a moderate success rate. As in the other Northern Regions, we expect a greater number of applications in the coming months. It is not easy to give an opinion on Tuscany, a territory traditionally very sensitive to requests for landscape protection and, also for this reason, it has become unattractive for investors. Nonetheless, even in a context of very limited numbers, the performance has improved in recent months.

Molise and Abruzzo

The dimensions of the Molise area limit the market space, even though it has become – at a certain stage – the subject of a good number of solar applications: few for the authorizations issued so far, albeit with an improving trend compared to 2021. The growth on wind only statistics: just 11 MW authorized in 2022, compared to 1.2 GW of requests. From an orographic point of view, Abruzzo is probably not the best region for photovoltaic development. Despite everything, out of the almost 300 MW presented, 81 MW have already been authorised.

Invaluable brands and regions

The small size and the peculiar orographic character of the Marches do not make it particularly suitable for the development of large-scale photovoltaics. In addition, there is not too encouraging news from the regional offices (only 7% of the projects presented since 2019 have been authorized).

Photovoltaic, achievable goals

Unlike wind – analyzes Tommaso Barbetti – economist and founder of Elemens – on solar the numbers of authorizations improve: the almost 5 GW released in 2022, with 2023 which seems to follow the same trend, bring us closer to the trajectory necessary to reach the targets for 2030. They remain due to very strong disparities between the Regions: Sicily, with Lazio, has been the best up to now, representing the first Italian solar market. Also for this reason the recent declarations of the president Renato Schifani were received with fear by the operators: however, for now the projects in Sicily are going ahead, even if it will not be easy to maintain certain levels over time, with the Sicilian market gradually saturating .

Wind at stake

The wind energy authorization in 2022 drops compared to previous years (the failure to convert national EIAs into regional authorizations weighs) but this year the trend is partially improving compared to 2022 with the first national EIAs starting to transform into single authorisations. Currently, 66% of the projects presented are in the evaluation phase. According to Elemens analyses, around 30 projects (over 1.7 GW) are in an advanced stage of the procedure, the EIA measures could be issued shortly. The value of Nos remains high: more than a third of the measures issued were negative (1.7+ GW). A decisive change of pace will be necessary to achieve the 2030 objectives.

The open points

For a shared growth of renewables in our country – comments Giovanni Galgano, director of Public Affairs Advisors – the regulatory issues on the table are different and important and to be tackled in a determined way: the dialectic between the government and the Regions on suitable areas, the implementation of numerous simplifications that have taken place in recent months and of which we estimate a modest impact for now, the theme of connections and storage, as well as the fundamental game of the so-called compensations for the territories, which probably need to be declined in a more rounded and inclusive way compared to what the citizens who live in the places hosting the plants perceive today.

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