MILAN / ReutersItaly is likely to double a capacity target for growing the wind energy sector as it aims to meet European Union goals for boosting renewable power, the Italian industry ministry's energy expert said on Monday.
Wind power generating capacity has been growing at an average of 450 megawatts per year in 2004-06 and hit 2,123 MW of installed capacity at the end of 2006 -- very close to a 2,500 MW target set earlier for 2012, said the ministry's energy adviser Gianni Silvestrini.
The government is likely to raise the wind power target at the end of the year when it reviews progress in meeting the Kyoto Protocol goals set for fighting global climate change, Silvestrini told a conference on wind energy.
"In my opinion, given the high pace of (sector) growth, we can have at least 5,000 mw," he told reporters on the sidelines of the conference.The raised target would help Italy meet the EU's new target for renewable energy share in total energy use set at 20 percent for the bloc for 2020, Selvestrini said.
Italy generated about 3.5 billion kilowatt hours of electricity on wind farms in 2006 -- equal to about 1 percent of total power demand and enough to meet the demand of over 4.5 million Italians.
Italy's wind power capacity in 2006 was enough to prevent the emission of 3/5 million tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO2), 15,000 tonnes of sulphur dioxide and save 10 million barrels of oil, industry data shows.
Italy's emissions of the types of greenhouse gases widely blamed for global warming have risen 12 percent since 1990, rather than heading towards the 6.5 percent reduction that it has pledged to reach by 2012 under the Kyoto Protocol.
