Italy Energy Information

Total Energy Consumption

Italy's per capita energy consumption is 20% lower than the EU average (2.5 toe in 2019). Electricity consumption per capita is around 5 000 kWh, i.e. 10% below the EU average.

Total energy consumption has been declining slightly since 2017 by 1.7%/year to 149 Mtoe in 2019. It declined rapidly between 2005 and 2014 (by 2.6%/year).

Graph: CONSUMPTION TRENDS BY ENERGY SOURCE (Mtoe)

Interactive Chart Italy Total Energy Consumption

Crude Oil Production

Domestic oil and NGL production (4.8 Mt in 2019) cover around 7% of the country's needs.

Crude oil imports remained stable at 66 Mt in 2019. Six suppliers accounted for over 70% of crude oil supply, namely Iraq (20% in 2019), Azerbaijan (17%), Russia (14%), Libya (12%), and Saudi Arabia (8%).

Interactive Chart Italy Crude Oil Production

Oil Products Consumption

Oil consumption has decreased slightly since 2015 (-1.4%/year) to 51 Mt in 2019. It fell by 38% between 2000 and 2013.

Graph: OIL CONSUMPTION (Mt)

The transport sector absorbs a growing share of total oil product consumption (62% in 2019, up from 52% in 2010). It is followed by industry and non-energy uses (15%, down from 19% in 2010). Power plants accounted for just 8% of oil consumption in 2019, compared to 23% in 2000 and 11% in 2010.

Interactive Chart Italy Refined Oil Products Production

Natural Gas Consumption

Natural gas consumption has been increasing since 2014 (+3.7%/year), due to rising consumption in the power sector. Gas consumption, which had surged by 5.2%/year between 1994 and 2005 to 86 bcm, declined until 2014 as the demand from the power sector and industry declined.

Graph: NATURAL GAS CONSUMPTION (bcm)

Interactive Chart Italy Natural Gas Domestic Consumption

Coal Consumption

Coal consumption has more than halved since 2010 (-54%, including -30% in 2019 alone) to 10 Mt in 2019, because of the closure of coal fired power plants. It rose rapidly between 1993 and 2004 to supply coal-fired power plants (above 4%/year).

Power generation accounts for nearly 70% of coal consumption (68% in 2019) and industry consumes most of the remainder (28%).

Graph: COAL CONSUMPTION (Mt)

Graph: COAL CONSUMPTION BREAKDOWN BY SECTOR (2019, %)

Interactive Chart Italy Coal and Lignite Domestic Consumption

Power Consumption

Electricity consumption decreased slightly in 2019 (-0.6%) to 302 TWh. It rose by 1.7%/year between 2000 and 2008 (319 TWh) and fell by 1.5%/year on average through 2014 (291 TWh), before recovering slightly (+1%/year between 2014 and 2018).

According to preliminary estimates, electricity demand declined by 5% in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic that struck Italy significantly (with a 17% record low in April 2020).

Graph: ELECTRICITY CONSUMPTION (TWh)

Renewable in % Electricity Production

Italy will meet its 2020 renewable targets (17%), as the share of renewables in final energy consumption in 2019 was already above 18% (35% for power, i.e. 9 points over the target) and 20% for heating and cooling (target of 17%). The NECP 2030 targets a share of 30% of renewables in final energy consumption, including 55% in electricity consumption and 33% in heat consumption. It plans 50 GW of solar PV in 2030 (+30 GW).

Interactive Chart Italy Share of Renewables in Electricity Production (incl hydro)

CO₂ Fuel Combustion/CO₂ Emissions

GHG emissions have been decreasing since 2005; in 2018, they were 16% below their 1990 level (439 Mt).

The NECP 2030 aims at cutting GHG emissions for all ETS sectors by 43% and for all non-ETS sectors by 33% by 2030 (compared to 2005). This would correspond to an overall reduction in GHG emissions of 40% by 2030 compared to 1990 levels.

Energy-related CO₂ emissions dropped by 32% between 2005 and 2019 (to 313 MtCO₂).

Graph: CO₂-ENERGY EMISSIONS (MtCO₂)