MILAN (Reuters) – Environmental groups ClientEarth and WWF Italy on Tuesday called on the new management of Italy’s biggest utility Enel to clarify their stance over the building a new gas power station in the south of the country.
The organisations said they had taken legal action against the decision by Italian authorities to allow a new gas power station to replace Enel’s coal-fired plant near the city of Brindisi.
The Lazio regional administrative court is due to hold a hearing over the case on July 19.
ClientEarth and WWF Italy said Enel’s position on the Brindisi project was unclear after the group appointed a new board earlier this month including former Terna CEO Flavio Cattaneo as new Chief Executive and former Enel and Eni head Paolo Scaroni as new Chairman.
“With the appointment of a new Chairman and CEO, Enel needs to confirm if it will maintain its stated intention to turn the area into a renewable energy hub, or if it will in fact proceed with the proposed fossil fuel project,” the two associations said in a statement.
WWF Italy said the Puglia region, where Brindisi is located, should focus instead on renewable energy projects.
A spokesperson for Enel told Reuters the group was sticking to its pledge of shutting its Italian coal plants in the future and added Italy’s power grid operator Terna would have a role in the decision about how to convert these stations.
“In confirming Enel’s plan to exit coal-fired generation in Italy, the company says that it will evaluate the best available technologies for the re-conversion of the coal-fired plants based on the needs indicated by Italy’s national grid operator,” the spokesperson said.
(Reporting by Francesca Landini; Editing by Keith Weir)
