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Decarbonization? It passes through the Po Valley

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A high rate of industrialization and a high population density make the Po Valley one of the areas with the highest CO2 emissions in Europe. Now a Boston Consulting Group study has proposed a “green” project that aims to decarbonise the area.

The project was presented during the “Industrial Decarbonization Pact – Sustainability, Innovation and Competitiveness of the Italian Industry” event organized by Interconnector Energy Italia, a reality that coordinates seven Confindustria associations representing the energy-intensive sectors: Assocarta, Assofond, Assovetro, Confindustria Ceramica , Federacciai, Federbeton and Federchimica, the backbone of the country’s economy with 700,000 employees (considering the related industries). This is an operational plan for the energy transition of 16 industrial districts which include 165 emission sites. According to Boston Consulting Group estimates, by activating all the decarbonisation levers described by a study on the decarbonisation of energy-intensive sectors in collaboration with Interconnector Energy Italia, the 16 industrial districts could reduce emissions by 40% by 2030 compared to 2019. The project it is part of a broader plan to decarbonise energy-intensive sectors that should lead to carbon neutrality in the so-called hard-to-abate sectors by 2050.

Boston Consulting Group, in collaboration with Interconnector Energy Italia, oversaw the study on the decarbonisation of the steel, paper, cement, ceramic, chemical, foundries and glass sectors. The study clearly shows that the decarbonisation of energy-intensive sectors can only be pursued through a diversified portfolio of solutions, operating simultaneously on several technological levers. Energy efficiency, circular economy, low carbon fuels, CO2 capture, green fuels (hydrogen and biomethane) and electrification represent, in fact, complementary elements of a joint action plan and could, if fully implemented, reduce the expected direct emissions of sectors up to 40% by 2030. Together, industry contributes to 20% of national CO2 emissions, most of which are related to energy-intensive sectors. The study also points out that in order to achieve the long-term objectives it is necessary to fully exploit the potential of the three most “innovative” levers: CO2 capture, electrification and green fuels (hydrogen and biomethane). In fact, in 2050, these three levers alone could guarantee a 70-80% reduction in the total emissions of the sectors analyzed, while the remaining and already consolidated levers (circular economy, low carbon fuels and energy efficiency) will support the reduction of most of the remaining emissions. The analysis is almost an appeal: according to the study, in the absence of countermeasures, the existence of industry in Italy is jeopardized.

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The analysis by Boston Consulting Group experts has also identified strategic areas on which the success of the transition plan to 2030 depends. A decarbonization plan that requires strong institutional support to guarantee dedicated funds and reforms, as well as support for projects research and development.

To accelerate the transition, the current maneuver provides for a Fund for industrial transition, with an endowment of 150 million euros from 2022, which aims to favor the adaptation of the national production system to European policies in the fight against change climate through subsidies to companies aimed at making investments for energy efficiency, for the reuse for productive uses of raw materials and recycled materials, as well as for the capture, sequestration and reuse of CO2.

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