Rome, 27 March 2008 - Enel will be participating as a main sponsor of the 11th International Energy Forum in Rome, a unique opportunity for dialogue among the leading international players on issues of crucial importance for our future, first and foremost energy security and sustainable development.
The challenge facing us, says Enel CEO Fulvio Conti, consists in ensuring an abundant, secure, affordable and environmentally compatible supply of energy. It is a complex equation with many variables: an integrated approach is needed, adopting all available technologies and ensuring geographical diversification of energy sources. The size of the problem demands a global strategy for countries and leading operators.
The IEF forum will bring together in Rome (April 20/22) the energy ministers and top managers of the largest international energy groups from more than 30 countries. The forum will focus on four key issues: how to ensure energy resource availability; how to ensure sufficient investment in infrastructure; the way forward to a sustainable energy future, with a special focus on the environment; and how to guarantee energy security and dialogue among producers and consumer countries.
The international energy scenario is shaped by a number of given factors: fossil fuels will continue to play a central role in energy supplies, thus maintaining reliance on a small number of exporters of raw materials, especially gas, an invaluable fuel on which Italy is increasingly dependent for electricity generation as well; global energy demand is growing, which drives strong international competition with emerging countries such as India and China; and awareness of the environmental impact of energy production is spreading, with the need of massive investments in new, alternative technologies.
This challenging environment calls for all players of the energy world to redouble their efforts to diversify sources, increase energy savings and efficiency, develop renewables and pursue research in future technologies.
Enel today is a multinational operating in 21 countries around the world, and intends to make its contribution: between 2008 and 2012 the company will invest 37 billion euros, of which 7.4 billion euros in new generation plants that exploit the energy of water, wind, the sun and the heat of the earth and in technological innovation, such as high-efficiency solar power, off-shore wind facilities and CO2 capture and sequestration.
In order to reduce dependence on gas in electricity generation and to diversify and expand energy sources, Enel is investing about 5 billion euros in Italy to convert old fuel-oil generation plants into modern coal-fired plants, using cutting-edge fuel storage and emissions control technologies. Other projects include a new regasification facility as well as a new gas pipeline.