The green island of Sardinia

The green island of Sardinia

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A laboratory for electrification and sustainability 

The Italian island of Sardinia brims with the potential to become a large-scale laboratory for electrification and sustainability, for a number of reasons.

To start with, it has a higher penetration of electricity than the Italian average: by 2018, electricity accounted for 28% of final energy consumption (total energy consumed by end-users), against a national figure of 21%.

Sardinia also has huge potential for the development of renewable sources: there are high levels of sunlight right across the entire island and it is also one of Italy’s windiest regions.

Adding a further 4 or 5 GW of renewable energy to current capacity, coupled with 1 GW of battery storage, is a realistic scenario that would allow the permanent elimination of coal from the island’s power generation mix without replacing it with other fossil fuels by 2025. Electrification could thus contribute to the decarbonization of Sardinia's energy system.

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In addition to that, Sardinia’s inhabitants are eager to transition to electricity. According to a B2C survey, 25% of Sardinians were in favor of energy upgrades for residential buildings by installing heat pumps for domestic heating. A figure that jumped to 80% when the upgrades were eligible for the government's 110% tax incentive. This data demonstrates that a more sustainable future for Sardinia is possible.

 

Economic and environmental benefits

Sardinia has the potential to be at the forefront of the electrification of energy consumption and thus reap the economic and environmental sustainability advantages that this would entail.

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The electrification of urban transportation – both public and private – would have a positive impact by reducing air and noise pollution. Electrifying the island's ports – powering ships at berth with electricity rather than diesel engines in a process known as cold ironing – would make Sardinia an entirely green region: a model of the energy transition in action.

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Electrification is a virtuous cycle that can improve quality of life for residents and visitors alike and also boosting the image of the island, whose economy depends in large part on its status as a popular summer destination: promoting sustainable tourism would provide a competitive edge.

The emerald green now associated with the international image of Sardinia’s coast could in future come to symbolize the island as a whole.

A model for Italy

Electrifying Sardinia will take Investments in new renewable energy plants and grid infrastructure such as the so-called Tyrrhenian Link, which will hook the island up with both Sicily and Campania and thus the national grid. 

We are ready to do our bit: our plan for Sardinia focuses on 2030. We started with an investment analysis of the Tyrrhenian Link, which we carried out jointly with high voltage grid operator Terna. We conducted in-depth studies of the island's electricity supply during and after the exit from coal as well as its potential for renewable sources, including in association with energy storage systems. We have years of expertise in developing innovative sustainable technologies in this sector. We are ready to bring them to Sardinia to create shared value with local communities, boosting employment and opening up new opportunities for growth. We are also prepared to offer our services and our know how to support the energy transition with our e-mobility, energy efficiency and smart home solutions.

Electrification can stoke the development of the region's production, tourism and residential systems via entirely green energy: we can contribute to this scenario with the innovative solutions for electric transportation, energy efficiency and sustainable public lighting developed by our business lines.

The Sardinia project is a pilot that could be exported nationwide and calibrated to suit local differences and requirements. Sardinia could thus become Europe’s greenest island and a model for Italy as a whole.