The gas node

Energy, agreement between Region and Ministry to 'save' the Dpcm Sardinia

The obstacle preventing investment and growth in the metal and manufacturing sector can be overcome

by Davide Madeddu

16 November 2024

Operaio dell’Italgas Medea di Olbia (Imagoeconomica)

2' min read

Key points

The 2022 Dpcm
A deal soon
The Region at work

2' min read

An agreement between the Region and the Ministry to 'save' the Dpcm energy, and allow the arrival of gas in Sardinia. The stumbling block preventing investment and growth in the metallurgy and manufacturing sector can be overcome.

The 2022 Dpcm

The affair revolves around the Dpcm energy, issued by the Draghi government in 2022, which also outlines the framework for the arrival of gas in the region. The measure was challenged by the Region led by President Christian Solinas. Now, however, there is a turning point in the affair. The State's and Region's lawyers will jointly request a postponement of the decision on the appeal against the decree, as the Council of State's decision is expected on Thursday, 21 November. The intention is to reach an agreement and thus redefine the decree.

A deal coming up

"On both sides, we believe that there is a possibility of discussing an agreement soon,'' were the words pronounced by Region President Alessandra Todde after Thursday's meeting with government representatives. "We discussed this possibility and agreed that it is important to ask for a joint postponement. I am satisfied with the meeting and also with the dialogue that took place thanks to the undersecretary to the Prime Minister Alfredo Mantovano'.

The Region at work

At the same time, the region will proceed with the preparation of plans. These include the gas plan. A measure to which several industrial investment plans are linked. From the ceramics sector, which needs steam to produce energy, to metallurgy. One above all, the 360 million investment project of Eurallumina for the restructuring and restarting of the refinery that transforms bauxite into alumina, the raw material from which primary aluminium is then obtained. The arrival of methane should then also affect the costs that other energy-intensive companies have to deal with.

Technicians in the field for the plan

'Our aim,' comments Industry Councillor Emanuele Cani, 'is to address the issue quickly so that measures for the revitalisation of the industrial sector can be secured quickly.

Node eligible areas

In the meantime, in Sardinia, where the Regional Council will resume its deliberations on Tuesday on the draft law for the identification of areas suitable for the installation of plants for the production of energy from renewable sources, the Council of State's order has suspended as a precautionary measure, until the conclusion of the judgement on the merits at the TAR (scheduled for 5 February), a passage of the ministerial decree on suitable areas, which gives the regions the right to consider unsuitable even areas deemed suitable by Legislative Decree 199 of 2021.

The Region focuses on the Special Statute

A decision that, however, does not seem to worry the regional administration. "Today's order by the Council of State has no repercussions on the Region's legislative power, which is based on the Statute,' emphasises Industry Councillor Cani. 'The Draghi decree itself does not affect the powers of the special statute regions and establishes that the suitable areas identified have a provisional character until the regions establish the contrary, which we are preparing to do with the bill currently being approved by the Council.