Italy can provide Latin America with its consolidated experience and establish fruitful synergies in electricity infrastructure. This was the comment by Under-Secretary for Foreign Affairs Mario Giro as he opened a workshop on electricity hosted at the Farnesina and organised in collaboration with the Italian-Latin American Institute (IILA), Enel, Terna and GSE.
Access to electricity – at accessible prices
“Access to electricity – at accessible prices – is vital to sustainable economic growth that benefits all citizens”, noted Giro. He underscored the leading role played by Italy in promoting sustainable development through renewable energy. Latin America places a strategic importance on renewables, “a political and economic priority” that gives Italian companies operating in the sector new scope for action, added Giro.
Grid connectivity to revitalise the entire region
After a decade of growth, the countries of Latin America are now feeling the effects of the global economic crisis. “Grid connectivity is one of the main challenges in revitalising the entire region”, explained the Secretary General of the IILA, Giorgio Malfatti. He noted that “delays on this front have slowed down regional integration”.
The electricity sector in Latin America has grown at rates of over 3.3% a year over the last decade, with a cleaner mix of sources than is the case in the rest of the world, thanks to the strong presence of hydroelectric power. The point was explained by the head of the International Energy Agency’s Renewable Energy Division, Paolo Frankl, who added that growth in renewables in Latin America will offset the lower growth rate in the United States and Europe.
Today’s event, attended by representatives of major Italian energy and renewables companies, and of public bodies and energy companies from the countries of Latin America, is part of the run-up to the 6th Italy-Latin America Conference scheduled to take place on 12 and 13 December in Rome.
