Insight: How Shell is helping to power a greener Italy
The Italian region of Puglia may be best known for its production of olive oil and its sizeable fishing industry but, thanks to its abundance of sunshine, the southern region has also become home to an increasing number of solar power projects.
One of them under construction is the Zamboni project which lies just south of Puglia’s second largest city of Taranto. More than 34,000 high-efficiency photovoltaic panels will be installed over an area of 17 hectares. Developed by Shell Energy Italia, it is expected to produce more than 30 gigawatt hours a year when it becomes operational in 2024.
Together with a number of other solar and wind developments concentrated in the south of the country and in Sicily and Sardinia, it is helping to decarbonise electricity supply in Italy and contribute to the country’s ambitious renewable energy targets of 40% in total energy consumption and 65% in electricity consumption by 2030.
“Seeing the installation of the panels is a really exciting moment for me,” said Ivan Niosi, Country Lead for renewable generation, Shell Energy Italia. “Over the last four years, we have overcome many challenges and today we have fantastic opportunities across the country that will allow us to support customers’ demands of renewable electricity. Our key focus is integrating all the parts of our power business and Italy is a great opportunity for us.”
In total, Shell Energy Italia is developing 48 projects, with authorisation – a major step in getting a project off the ground – granted for 20 of them. Together, the projects make up around two gigawatts of capacity, making Shell one of the country’s leading solar developers.
Shell Energy Italia’s position is partially thanks to the acquisition, at the end of 2021, of a solar development company, solar-konzept Italia Srl (SKI) which has helped Shell to build a large and integrated power business in the country.
Development of these solar projects complements Shell Energy’s experience of power trading across Europe and supplying business customers, a combination of which has laid the groundwork to offer integrated power solutions to a range of clients.
One of those customers is Baker Hughes which has signed an eight-year corporate power purchase agreement (PPA) with Shell Energy Italia to receive renewable energy from the Zamboni project which will help to decarbonise the Italian operations of the global energy services company.
“The supply contract with Baker Hughes shows how we are creating a direct link between our renewable power production and demand for renewable energy,” said Gianluca Formenti, Managing Director Shell Energy Italia. “As an integrated energy provider, Shell Energy Italia is providing energy management solutions to more than 700 industrial customers, helping them to meet their individual energy needs, today and into the future.”
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