Europe 1 with AFP 1:20 p.m., May 19, 2022
Italy has just announced that it should "become independent of Russian gas in the second half of 2024".
So says the head of government, Mario Draghi.
To achieve this, the country intends to diversify its suppliers and simplify the administrative procedures for renewable energy installations.
Italy should "become independent of Russian gas in the second half of 2024", thanks to its efforts to diversify its suppliers started in the wake of the invasion of Ukraine, Prime Minister Mario Draghi said on Thursday.
"We have acted quickly to reduce the share of natural gas that we import from Russia", i.e. 40% of the total in 2021, and "the first effects" of this policy "will be felt from the end of 2022", added he declared before the senators.
The Minister of Ecological Transition Roberto Cingolani had planned in April for a shorter period, assuring that Italy should succeed in doing without Russian gas in the space of 18 months.
Previously, he had estimated that the peninsula needed "24 to 30 months" to get there.
Towards a sixth set of sanctions
Italy is also seeking to increase its production of renewable energy, "removing bureaucratic obstacles" to investment, as it is the "only way" to free itself from the obligation to import fossil fuels, argued Mario Draghi.
At the same time, "we must maintain pressure on Russia through sanctions, in order to bring Moscow to the negotiating table", said Mario Draghi.
The European Union is working on a sixth set of sanctions, "which Italy firmly supports", recalled Mario Draghi, while a project to embargo oil purchases from Russia is still blocked by Hungary.
Italy is one of Europe's biggest consumers of gas, which accounts for 42% of its energy consumption, and imports 95%.
To reduce its dependence on Russia, Italy signed in April in particular an important agreement with Algeria on increased supplies of gas.
Discussions were also held with Qatar, Angola, Congo and Mozambique.