The head of the Italian electricity transmission network said that if Italy wants to reduce the pollution caused by burning fossil fuels, its power storage capacity must more than double.
Luigi ferr, chief executive of Terna SpA, said that in order to balance the boom in renewable energy, Italy may need up to 6 gigawatts of storage by 2030.
Storage is one of the ways the grid balances intermittent power flow in wind and solar power plants, and wind and solar power plants generate electricity only when the breeze or the sun is shining.
The comments show a record plan for Terna's investment.
2 billion euros ($7 billion)
It will shape the grid in Italy.
Most 4 of the country.
According to BloombergNEF, the current storage capacity of 8 gigawatts comes from pumping power plants, where water is stored in reservoirs and then allows to flow through power generation turbines at peak power demand.
"This is an opportunity not only for the energy sector, but also for agriculture," Ferrari said . ".
"We need places to store water for agriculture.
There may be multiple uses for these websites.
"His remarks add to the case of pumping power plants being built by other utilities, including Iberia de Lhasa.
While investors are raving about the prospect of deploying batteries on a large scale to balance the flow of electricity, Ferraris says the "Electrochemical" technology is not advanced enough to cushion the scale utilities need.
Italy estimates that it will increase its renewable power generation capacity by 40 gigawatts by 2030
There will be solar photovoltaic power generation.
This will help make up for losses at the close of the 7 th.
2 gigawatts of coal-fired power plants.
While the battery will lose power after a few weeks, water can be stored at the hydropower station for a few months, allowing the generator to collect power during the windy months for use during the calm summer months.
Ferrari is also studying whether the popularity of electric cars helps balance the grid, as the batteries in these cars may power the network without driving.
"We are very careful about this," the executive said in an interview with Bloomberg's European headquarters in London . ".
"In Italy today, the number of electric cars is limited.
If we have millions of vehicles, the battery is the battery, you can use it to run the car or inject power into the system.
"While Terna has no power to generate electricity, Ferrari is considering Terna's high-tech network
In order to cope with this change, the voltage power line must adapt.
Storage is part of the solution and also includes upgrading the system and increasing spending on digital technology, which will give dispatchers more ability to predict and shift trends.
Ferrari also tends to "capacity market" and will pay for generators that can guarantee supply at any time.