Hydroelectricity has been an important renewable energy source in Italy, accounting for over 10% of the country's electricity production. Italy has a significant number of hydroelectric power plants, with a total installed capacity of over 18GW in 2017, and ranked 4th on at the European scale. According to data gathered by the GSE at the end of 2018, Italy has a total hydropower installed capacity of 18.94 gigawatts, around 35% of the total national capacity deriving from green sources. There are more than 4,000 hydroelectric power plants in Italy in 2022. Approximately 1,050 of them were located in the northern region of Piedmont. Regions in the north of Italy typically had more hydroelectric power plants, especially compared to regions in the south, such as Apulia, where there were only 10.

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Italy's hydroelectricity sector is relatively mature compared to other European countries, and the country has been investing in this technology for many decades. However, due to environmental concerns and opposition from local communities, there has been a slowdown in the construction of new hydroelectric power plants in recent years.

In terms of sustainability, hydroelectricity is generally considered to be a low-carbon and environmentally friendly energy source, as it does not produce any greenhouse gas emissions during operation. However, constructing large-scale hydroelectric power plants can have significant environmental impacts, such as disrupting river ecosystems, losing habitats, and displacing local communities.

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Regarding energy policies, Italy has implemented some initiatives to support renewable energy development, including hydropower. For example, the country has established feed-in tariffs and other incentives to encourage the development of small-scale hydropower projects. Italy has set a target to produce 17% of its energy from renewable sources by 2020, which includes hydropower.

Therefore, it is important to carefully evaluate the sustainability of hydroelectricity projects on a case-by-case basis, considering their potential environmental and social impacts. In this regard, Italy has established strict regulations and environmental standards for constructing and operating hydroelectric power plants, aiming to minimise their environmental impact and ensure their sustainability.

 

While hydroelectricity has been an important source of renewable energy in Italy, the sustainability of hydroelectricity in Italy compared to other European countries depends on various factors, such as the size and location of the power plants, the environmental and social impacts, and the regulatory framework in place. A study was carried out by Stucchi et all on the climate change impact on the Sabbione (Hosandorn) glacier in the Piedmont region of Italy, and the homonymous reservoir, which collects water from ice melt; they projected the hydrological cycle under properly downscaled climate change scenarios until 2100. They concluded that the decrease of cold water in this area, which is paradigmatic of the present state of hydropower in the Alps, and the subsequent considerable hydropower losses due to climate change call for adaptation measures .

 

 

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REFERENCES

1. “Economic Sustainability of Small-Scale Hydroelectric Plants on a National Scale—The Italian Case Study.” Water, vol. 13, no. 9, MDPI, Feb. 2021, p. 1170. https://doi.org/10.3390/w13091170.

2. Stucchi, Leonardo, et al. “Hydropower From the Alpine Cryosphere in the Era of Climate Change: The Case of the Sabbione Storage Plant in Italy.” Water, vol. 11, no. 8, MDPI, Aug. 2019, p. 1599. https://doi.org/10.3390/w11081599.

3. “Italy: Number of Hydropower Plants by Region 2022 | Statista.” Statista, www.statista.com/statistics/888390/number-of-hydroelectric-power-plants-by-region-in-italy. Accessed 26 Apr. 2023.

4. “How Much Hydroelectric Energy Is Produced in Italy and Where.” Hydropower in Italy | Enel Green Power, www.enelgreenpower.com/learning-hub/renewable-energies/hydroelectric-energy/italy. Accessed 26 Apr. 2023.

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