Enel Grids boss says energy transition must kickstart a competitive value chain

Gianni Vittorio Armani, Head of Enel Grids and Innovability at Enel, issued a rallying call to put the energy sector at the heart of Europe’s competitive strategy.

“We want the energy transition to be a facilitator of a competitive value chain in Europe – and not somewhere else,” he told the audience on the first day of Enlit Europe in Milan.

Speaking during the opening keynote, Armani (pictured) debunked the notion that there is a conflict between sustainability and competitiveness, and added that renewable energy production is now more competitive than any other energy source.

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“In Europe, we have to work on creating the space for new infrastructures to be sustainable and for renewables to be placed in the market and this is the challenge for distributors.

“Electricity has to transition to an ‘always-on’ service.”

Commenting on the massive growth of electrification in the years ahead – up to 70% by 2050 for areas such as emobility and AI and data centres – he commented on the “huge need” for sensing in the grid to improve visibility and for digitalisation and for innovation in general that is cost-effective and deployable at the necessary pace.

Read our exclusive interview with Armani about Europe’s industrial strategy

“It is not just about hosting capacity but a transformation with a different way of providing service with a high standard of availability.”

He said that “what will happen with artificial intelligence will affect all our activities. This is more than just a transition – it’s a transformation of our way of living.”