Agreement between Duferco and Maresca on renewable energy

Duferco Energia and the Carlo Maresca Group (which operates in the development and construction of renewable energy plants in Italy) have signed an agreement for the acquisition of energy from renewable sources, through the market mechanism known as Energy Release 2.0. The deal, which involves the development of around 60 megawatts of photovoltaic power, will enable Duferco, explains a note, to secure a significant volume of green electricity for its customers.

Energy Release 2.0 is a new procedure, introduced by a ministerial decree, which aims to sell electricity from renewable sources at a fixed price, through transactions managed by the Gestore dei Servizi Energetici (GSE) and the Gestore dei Mercati Energetici (Gme). The version of the decree approved by the EU Commission envisages a two-stage mechanism: an initial one, in which the GSE supplies electricity, at a fixed price, to participating companies, and a subsequent one, in which the same companies must return the energy received, creating new capacity from renewable sources. The agreement therefore requires Duferco, as an aggregator of energy-intensive entities, to sign a contract with the Gse for the purchase of energy. Maresca, as the delegated party, undertakes, on the other hand, to realise the new renewable capacity for the return of the energy advanced and purchased by Duferco.

"We are very pleased," commented Lorenzo Pittaluga, Duferco Energia's trading & origination director, "to have reached this agreement. We have, in fact, managed to secure the customers of our aggregate, finding the renewable production necessary to cover their needs, in a market that, following the latest regulatory changes, has appeared less long than we expected.

While Emanuele Mainardi, general manager for Maresca's renewable energy development division, emphasises: 'We are proud to be able to contribute to this path of reducing the energy costs of Italian electricity companies; and we believe that the partnership with Duferco Energia will certainly be able to expand, even towards further strategic projects with a view to energy transition.