Hydroelectric concessions, tenders in Piedmont in spring

"Out of 12 expired hydroelectric concessions, seven are managed by Iren Energia and they are the first ones we have worked on. An appeal had blocked the procedure, we won, now with the first tenders we will start in spring'. Matteo Marnati, Piedmont's regional councillor (Environment, Artificial Intelligence, Energy, Innovation, Research, Digital Services for Citizens and Businesses), indicates the road that will lead to the reassignment of hydroelectric concessions after years of stalemate. With tenders by 2025, the first allocations are expected after two years. There are 67 large derivations for hydroelectric use in Piedmont, with a nominal concession capacity of 761 MW. Of these, in addition to the 12 that have expired, 47 will have expired by 2029, many by Enel, the other 8 by 2044.

Of the ways to reallocate the hydroelectric assets - choice of operator through a tender, a mixed public-private capital company, in which the private partner is chosen through a tender, a public-private partnership - Piedmont started with a project-financing - 'because there was a corporate will, of Iren in this case, to present a project' - which will result in a tender: 'Anyone can make an expression of interest and present a plan. We are then obliged to publish all the data, guaranteeing everyone the opportunity to participate. Of the other five expired concessions, some have said they are considering expressions of interest, others have not. We will start with the first seven in 2025, then if no proposals arrive we will hold the tenders like Lombardy (which received 11 offers for the first two small concessions put out to tender, ed). For the future, we are also thinking about the possibility of setting up a public-private company, but for plants that will expire in 2029 and after.

Now many are calling for the so-called fourth way, an alternative to the procedures for reallocations, counting on Raffaele Fitto's weight in Europe: there is in fact a need for a negotiation with the EU, since the hydro tenders were a condition for an instalment of Pnrr already collected. "We would adopt it immediately. If there was the possibility to negotiate directly with the outgoing operators we would save a lot of time and money. Other European countries already do this. The point remains to maximise investments. And we prefer to do this with Italian companies'. In the meantime, climate change dictates the agenda: 'We are working to multiply large reservoirs, which are now needed to replace glaciers, for storage. There are projects in the Serra degli Ulivi in the province of Cuneo, in Val Sessera above Biella, in the Lanzo Valleys with the Combanera dam. In the next 10-15 years something new will come to Piedmont. I hope that this culture, changed after the crisis of 2022, will continue and be stronger and stronger'.

However, at the moment, the hydroelectric road is paved with appeals. The one that had blocked the reallocation procedure, promoted by Eisackwerk of Bolzano, contested the legitimacy of the region to accept the project-financing proposal presented by the outgoing concessionaire. It has now been rejected. "I take it for granted that there will be other disputes. We go ahead confident that what we are doing is right for the community,' Marnati cuts in. There are currently 21 appeals pending at the Higher Water Court concerning the region. One of the fronts is that of arrears in fees: "Over 100 million," the councillor quantifies: "Enel had appealed, there was a recent ruling, and now we will collect about 90 million. This ruling, however, is currently being appealed in cassation.