Luca Piemonti

Italian energy giant Enel’s entry into the small modular reactor (SMR) market intensifies competition for struggling startups yet to produce commercial reactors. Enel is partnering with Ansaldo and Leonardo to establish a new company focused on SMR technology, building on its existing collaboration with startup Newcleo. Backed by substantial financial resources (Enel’s revenue equals 4% of Italy’s GDP) the new venture poses a significant challenge to smaller SMR startups, which rely on mass production and quick installations to compete. While SMRs promise faster and more cost-effective deployment compared to traditional large reactors, startups face numerous hurdles. None have yet built a commercial-scale reactor, and setbacks have mounted: Oklo’s permit application was denied in 2022, NuScale’s first contract was canceled in January, and X-Energy’s reverse merger failed in 2023. Enel’s involvement underscores the growing viability of SMRs but raises concerns about the survival of smaller players amid financial and regulatory challenges.

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🔋 Excited to attend the Energy Storage Global Conference in Brussels next week! Is re-Shaping the energy industry about energy storage? It’s certainly a crucial part of the puzzle together with RES, green molecules and LNG. Eager to hear the latest development in technology, market trends and regulatory frameworks and how the form and role of long-term energy storage is taking as the next piece to the puzzle. #EnergyStorage #EnergyTransition #Sustainability #Innovation #LDES #Brussels

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You are grossly misinformed about the actual cost of an energy system. LCOE [Levelized energy cost] is a microeconomic view of energy costs. It includes the cost of building the solar project, the costs of operation, and the cost of fuel. What LCOE does not consider are the system costs of an energy system, such as the cost of land, the cost of adding high-voltage transmission lines, the cost of storage, such as batteries, and the cost of backup energy, usually gas turbines, to run when weather conditions, such as clouds, hinder solar grid effectiveness. Nor does it consider the cost of balancing the load to the grid or managing the grid's frequency. Additionally, energy system costs should include the cost of recycling, for example, all the solar panels after ten years, when they need repowering or replaced by newer solar panels due to technological improvements. The (LCOE) metric only captures a fraction of the actual cost picture. In response to your claim that solar energy is the "cheapest" form of energy, you offer only microeconomic, oversimplified analyses that do not tell the complete story. LCOE also does not consider: Lifetime and Replacement Costs: Nuclear plants typically operate for 60-80 years. Solar panels generally require replacement after 10-20 years, with significant performance degradation after 10 years. Solar inverters need replacement every 10-15 years. The replacement costs for solar infrastructure must be factored into long-term economic analyses. Realized energy: Nuclear power plants in the United States operate consistently at 93% of their gross capacity, providing reliable baseload power. Solar installations typically operate at 25-35% capacity and are intermittent. This means that 1GW of nuclear capacity produces at least 3X more electricity than 1GW of solar capacity over any given period. Land use: Nuclear power requires approximately 1 square mile to generate 1 GW, while a typical solar farm needs 50-75 square miles to generate the same capacity. Nuclear energy has a lower environmental footprint and also has lower transmission infrastructure requirements. System Costs Matter: A fair comparison of energy systems should consider integration costs, such as grid modifications for intermittency, battery storage, and new transmission lines. Nuclear plants can be located near population centers, minimizing transmission needs. Environmental Considerations: Nuclear power generates minimal, well-managed waste, whereas solar panel manufacturing relies on coal and extensive mining for rare earth elements. Additionally, solar panels pose increasing environmental challenges for end-of-life disposal. Conclusion: Claims about grid solar being the "cheapest" energy source ignore crucial factors. A comprehensive analysis must consider total system costs, reliability requirements, land use, and environmental impacts. Energy policy requires careful analysis beyond simple LCOE comparisons.

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I’m happy to share that I’ll be joining the upcoming Hydrogen Expo in Piacenza, a key event dedicated to the future of clean energy (11-13 Sep 2024). Hydrogen is more than just a fuel - it's a cornerstone of a sustainable energy future. With its potential to reduce carbon emissions, drive innovation, and transform industries, hydrogen is paving the way for a cleaner, greener world. At Kairos3D, we are proud to support this revolution by providing cutting-edge 3D Digital Twin solutions specifically designed for hydrogen plants. Our technology enables: - Enhanced Visualization: providing a real-time, immersive view of the entire plant, from production to distribution. - Operational Efficiency: allowing teams to simulate, monitor, and optimize processes, reducing downtime and improving safety. - Predictive Maintenance: Leveraging data-driven insights to anticipate issues before they occur, ensuring smoother operations and reducing costs. As hydrogen continues to gain momentum globally, our 3D Digital Twins are here to ensure that hydrogen plants operate at their best, contributing to a more sustainable and efficient energy landscape. Looking forward to connecting with fellow innovators at the Hydrogen Expo in Piacenza! Let’s collaborate to drive the hydrogen economy forward. #Hydrogen #CleanEnergy #DigitalTwins #Innovation #Sustainability #HydrogenExpo2024

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Snam has signed a new Sustainability-linked credit line, for a total amount of € 4 billion, which is compliant with the new Group’s #SustainableFinance Framework published in February 2024. The facility is the most significant revolving credit line in the utilities sector this year, including a KPI tied to the reduction of Scope 3 emissions. The credit line is structured as a revolving facility and consists of two tranches, each amounting to Euro 2 billion, with an initial maturity of three and five years respectively, and it is tied to specific #sustainability goals with the applicable margin dependent on the achievement of these targets, fully in line with Snam’s ambitious climate targets outlined in its recently published #TransitionPlan Roadmap. The Key Performance Indicators include Scope 1&2 GHG emissions, Scope 3 GHG emissions and women in executive and middle-management roles. 🎙️ “Following our recent issuance of dual-tranche Sustainability-Linked bond totaling approximately €1.5 billion equivalent, inclusive of our debut in the GBP market, this new Sustainability-Linked credit line marks another important step in Snam’s roadmap to achieve #CarbonNeutrality by 2040 and #NetZero by 2050, with sustainable finance playing a pivotal role”, said Luca Passa, Snam Chief Financial Officer. The transaction consolidates Snam financial flexibility, streamlines the company’s financing structure and strengthens the Group’s commitment to secure 85% of total funding from sustainable finance by 2027. Press release on our webiste: https://lnkd.in/ejMagm_V Comunicato stampa in italiano disponibile sul sito: https://lnkd.in/eziDN8fz #energytoinspiretheworld

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AXIA Ventures Group acted as Financial Advisor to Aragorn Value Leadership, in relation to the capital raising efforts for the development of a biomethane platform in Italy.   Aragorn Value Leadership is a prominent developer of biomethane plants with an extensive track record in the renewable energy sector in Italy. This transaction will be made in partnership with Plenium Partners’s Ecualia Capital fund and marks a significant step in its commitment to sustainability, renewable energy, and the development of new projects in this country.   Specifically, both firms will launch a new platform initially focused on the construction and operation of four biomethane plants located in different parts of Italy, with the total investment exceeding EUR 100 million.   The AXIA investment banking team is proud to have advised Aragorn Value Leadership on a landmark transaction for the biomethane sector in Italy.   George Linatsas Antonios Achilleoudis Dimitrios Athanasopoulos Marco Figus Giovanni Sebastiani Edoardo Linari Alex Argyros   #AXIAVenturesGroup #AXIA #InvestmentBanking #AXIAMilan #AXIATransaction #AragornValueLeadership #Biomethane #Sustainability #Renewables #EconomyNews #Italy

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EOLICO GALLEGGIANTE NEI MARI ITALIANI: UN CONCRETO CONTRIBUTO ALLA TRANSIZIONE ENERGETICA Thank you to prof Domenico Coiro and ing. Francesco Lionello for the Workshop  "EOLICO GALLEGGIANTE NEI MARI ITALIANI: UN CONCRETO CONTRIBUTO ALLA TRANSIZIONE ENERGETICA" organized by SeaPower scrl and Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II. In the sumptuous SS Marcellino e Festo palace in Naples on 10 June 2024, the various speakers underlined how offshore wind is destined to play a key role in achieving the EU goal of climate neutrality by 2050 and floating offshore wind is the promising “Italian” solution. I spoke about Floating Electrical Stations also as a member of the international JIP-FOSS group coordinated by DNV which is in charge of the new standards (with the updating of DNV-ST-0145 for floating) and application guidelines for floating stations. The main obstacles have been overcome, but there are still no floating station in operation so "upcoming" projects still try to bypass this solution. In any case, however, the effective international collaboration between the various players gives rise to hope for a forthcoming operational solution such as the sector and in particular Italy really needs

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Our member Enel X has announced a new project with Aeroporti di Roma (AdR) to construct PIONEER, an innovative, large-scale, second-life Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) co-funded by the European Commission’s #InnovationFund. The BESS will store the excess power from Fiumicino’s PV plant and will be operated thanks to a system that transforms used EV batteries, into stationary storage. This project enables to: 🔋store up to 10 MWh of green energy for the airport’s terminals 🌿reduce CO₂ emissions #PIONEER represents a crucial step in the company’s decarbonization journey and exemplifies a truly circular approach. 🌱  Luigi Lanuzza

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Let’s break the conventional LinkedIn post mold because this news is bound to leave everyone genuinely "thrilled": 360LIFE II fund is officially live and ready to go bold! We’re celebrating the first closing at €140 million for 360LIFE II, climate tech fund managed by 360 Capital, with one clear mission: accelerating the ecological transition. Here’s what this fund is about: 🌍 SFDR Article 9 (yes, the serious sustainable stuff) ⚡️ Focused on Series A & B startups in: - Energy Transition - Circular Economy - Urban Sustainability 🎯 With a target size of €200 million, 360LIFE II builds on the success of 360LIFE I (launched in 2020 with A2A as the sole LP) to drive innovation across Europe and turn climate challenges into opportunities. A2A, as the industrial anchor investor, will continue its commitment to support and de-risk cutting-edge technologies. 🥂 Here’s to bold moves, impactful partnerships, and driving sustainable innovation! Patrick Oungre Sebastiano Silvestri Andrea Bottinelli Rossella Florio Alessandro Zaccaria Cesare Maifredi Alexandre Mordacq Thomas Nivard

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With a bottleneck of Grid Connection space in Italy, should Land Scouts focus on starting projects in certain regions of the country? According to Elettricita Futura, about 336 GW of renewables capacity are requesting grid connection. This has greatly hindered the development of new renewable energy plants. I've spoken to Senior Development contacts recently who are focusing in securing Land in the Central and Northern areas of the country, as it's easier to connect projects to the Grid here than in the South. How can the TSO's and DSO's make it easier for Italy to reach it's ambitious Renewable Energy targets?

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At the Hydrogen Technology Expo Europe in Hamburg, Naomi from Hydrogen Standard interviews Cesare Rivioli and Andrea Bertoglio from VALVITALIA GROUP. Cesare highlights Valvitalia's journey since 2002 in the oil and gas market, providing essential products to over 115 countries, and their recent shift towards sustainability and hydrogen activities. Andrea, focusing on innovation, discusses their commitment to developing hydrogen-ready products, including a 100% hydrogen-ready valve, zero-emission actuators by 2025, and carbon capture projects in the U.S. and Canada. They also emphasize understanding hydrogen's unique behaviours and incorporating renewable energy solutions like solar panels. Full interview: https://bit.ly/Valvitalia More video interviews: https://bit.ly/3zYY0TI #HydrogenTech #Sustainability #Innovation #Valvitalia #RenewableEnergy

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Important milestone today : The 🇮🇹 Italian Ministry of Energy Ministero dell'Ambiente e della Sicurezza Energetica has presented the 🇮🇹 #ITALIAN #NATIONAL #HYDROGEN #STRATEGY The 🇮🇹 H2 Strategy demonstrates Italy's belief in the #key #role of the #hydrogen vector for the country's #decarbonization and #energy #security and provides a clear #strategic #direction necessary #to #reassure also #investors. UFI HYDROGEN #Hydrogen #MEA #Technology #Elcetrolyzers #FuelCells #EFuels #EHC

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The Italian #PPA market has the potential to unlock gigawatts of additional renewable capacity. However, current incentives steer the market in a different direction, limiting this opportunity. A little twist to the incentive structure could make a significant difference: shifting the focus towards onshore wind. Unlike solar, which where current PPA rates are sufficient support its development, onshore wind struggles to achieve the same viability with current price levels. Such an adjustment could create a more balanced and sustainable pathway for Italy’s renewable growth. Read more insights in Lorenzo Vallecchi's article.

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Meet Vittorio Palma, Investment Manager at Terna Forward 🌟 🔍 Discover the insights and experience that Vittorio, a key player in the Climate Tech industry, shared with us. In this interview, Vittorio provides a brief introduction about himself and shares his perspective on the key trends influencing the industry. He also discusses the advantages of events like the EIC & EuroQuity Bpifrance ClimateTech Investor Day and provides recommendations for Climate Tech companies looking for funding. 👉 Don't miss out on this valuable conversation! #ClimateTech #Innovation #EIC #EuroQuity

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Intesa Sanpaolo, thanks to a new agreement with the European Investment Bank (EIB), will make €1 billion in credit lines available to companies specializing in wind power plants and those that supply and install interconnection systems for such plants to “Made in Europe” electricity networks, making use of EIB guarantees for €500 million. The operation aims to support the wind power supply chain at a significant moment for the green transition in Europe, to defend the competitiveness of European plant producers, often limited in credit and guarantees. Find out more: https://ow.ly/9GC030sEEm5

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A Major Milestone for European and Italian #EnergyFuture. The acquisition of 2i Rete Gas S.p.A. by Italgas goes beyond the consolidation of the gas distribution sector. It marks a unique opportunity for #Italy and #Europe to have a leading industrial operator with a clear vision of the role that gas infrastructure will play in the future energy landscape. This transaction creates powerful synergies, fostering #innovation and #efficiency across the industry. The territories served will benefit from a modern, digital, and flexible infrastructure: an infrastructure capable of addressing the challenges of decarbonization through renewable gases—such as #biomethane, #hydrogen and synthetic green methane (#eMethane). By investing in future-proof energy solutions, we are building the foundation for a sustainable, resilient, and greener future for Italy and beyond. #EnergyTransition #Decarbonization #RenewableGases #Innovation #Sustainability

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