The Italian gas transmission network operator Snam has released its 2016 results, posting a 2.6% decrease in revenues related to discontinued operations following the separation of Italgas from Snam (sold in November 2016).
In 2016, Snam's 32,508-km-long gas network transported 70.6 bcm of gas (+5%), due to a higher consumption in the power sector (+13%, as nuclear power imports and domestic hydropower generation fuelled a higher gas-fired power generation in Italy). Higher temperatures contributed to reduce slightly gas consumption from the residential and tertiary sector (-0.4%), while industrial gas consumption rose by 4.5%. Overall, gas demand in Italy rose by 5% compared with 2015. LNG volumes regasified at the Panigaglia LNG terminal increased sevenfold to 210 mcm in 2016 (five tankers uploaded) and 20 bcm of gas moved through the storage system (+2.1%). Overall storage capacity, including strategic storage, was 16.5 bcm at 31 December 2016 (+0.5 bcm over 2015, including 12 bcm for commercial operations in the 2016-2017 thermal year and 4.5 bcm for strategic storage).
Over the 2017-2021 period, Snam plans to invest €5bn, including €4.7bn to further develop the Italian gas network and its interconnection with the
European infrastructure system (€1bn in Italy in 2017) and €270m in the TAP gas pipeline project. Within the overall €5bn investment plan, over €200m is earmarked for innovation and new technologies to improve the efficiency of the pipeline network.