Hydroelectricity, 11 bids for Lombardy concessions

Eleven bids, both Italian and foreign, arrived yesterday for the first two (small) expired hydroelectric concessions put out to tender in Italy by Lombardy: Resio (4 MW) and Codera Ratti-Dongo (19 MW), currently managed by A2A and Edison respectively. The region announced this in a note. For the first one, in Valcamonica (Brescia), six have come forward: A2A's Linea Green, Acea Produzione, Italgen of the Italmobiliare group of the Pesenti family, Alperia Greenpower of Alto Adige, Bkw Hydro Italia of the Swiss Bkw, and Asco Eg of the Veneto multi-utility Ascopiave.

For the Codera Ratti-Dongo in Valchiavenna (between Sondrio and Como), instead, five companies have submitted bids: the Trentino consortium Eisackwerk-Tecnoenergia, Acea Produzione, Alperia Greenpower, Edison and finally Slovenské Elektrárne, a 34% subsidiary of the Slovak Ministry of the Economy (in which the Enel group also has a minority stake) in a grouping with Ep Produzione, both part of the Eph galaxy of the Czech financier and billionaire Daniel Kretinsky.

The next steps include the eligibility checks, the start of the Single Procedure and the related services conference, and finally the appointment of the Evaluation Commission that will have to proceed, following the Single Procedure, to the evaluation of the bids. The award is expected by December 2025.

"We are complying with the 2018 law requiring regions to call for tenders. A rule that has lifted the EU infringement hanging over Italy as well as resolved the impasse on concessions that had lasted since the 1999 Bersani decree," comments Massimo Sertori, Lombardy's councillor for local authorities, mountains, energy resources, and use of water resources. "At the same time, we have lent ourselves to an evolution of the same rule: the famous fourth way, which we helped write and on which there is a transversal political consensus, among regions and operators. It is contrary to the commitments that Italy has made on the NRP, but it would not be the first time that we have changed them: if there is political will it can be carried forward'. The reference is to a solution that would allow the regions to explore the willingness of outgoing concessionaires to present significant investments for the granting of new concessions, beyond the modalities now envisaged of tenders, mixed company or project financing.

Piedmont is advancing with the latter. A development in no particular order that generally offers the side of appeals: two are pending on the value of the dry works of the two Lombardy concessions. Sertori does not foresee any slowdowns: "We have complied with the law," he repeats, and on the future he says: "We are in a position to hold the other tenders, although we do not yet know which ones or when. He adds: 'As a region, we care that fair fees are paid, that there is fair environmental compensation. Who the manager is is important up to a point: there will be service contracts to fulfil. And the ownership of the wet works will remain with the regions'.