Roma — The first tender to allocate Pnrr funds to finance the installation of charging stations for electric cars is a flop. Especially if you look at the large extra-urban arteries. The money that Brussels put in to place the first 2,500 points will not be used: 150 million out of the 270 complexes therefore remain in the freezer. Provided that the European Union gives the go-ahead for their reuse, which the Ministry of the Environment and Energy Security is convinced of, however. The companies that have tried, in Trentino, Veneto, Campania and Friuli Venezia Giulia, have not been admitted. Technical-bureaucratic stakes, between the choice of locations such as petrol pumps and the minimum number of points to be guaranteed in the various areas, which have produced tenders that have been criticized by companies in the sector. A dossier passed by the former minister Roberto Cingolani, who had repeatedly announced the launch of the tender, to the minister Gilberto Pichetto Fratin, who in a few months had to take action to avoid being at fault with Brussels with respect to the June 30 deadline linked to the Pnrr .
It went better for urban areas, where 127 million euros were up for grabs. The companies in the sector have been awarded a non-refundable grant of 40% to create points in large and small cities. Be careful though. Problems have not been lacking, so much so that some regions, such as Sardinia and Calabria, will not see plants built thanks to the Pnrr in the next twelve months, as will a part of Sicily. The situation is a bit patchy.
In the end, there will be more than 4,000 charging stations that the operators – the lion’s share of which are Be Charge, the Eni group, and Enel X Way – will be built within a year. If the deadline is not respected, they will lose the non-repayable contribution. The ministry led by Pichetto points out that there are more than 4,700 columns financed in urban centers. Then consider the “city” goal achieved. 70 million committed out of the 127 envisaged by the first tranche Pnrr. 56% of the funds from Brussels were awarded as contributions. And the others? It is probable that the ministry aims to reuse them. The tender that closed with the publication of the results on 30 June is only the first. The EU has allocated 713 million for Italy alone to be used by 2026 to install over 21,000 charging stations along the roads in and out of the city.
A game that passed from the Draghi government to the Meloni one, between government crisis, elections and the inauguration of new ministers. All this led, among the complaints of the trade associations, to the publication of the tender at the beginning of May. So the operators had less than a month to apply. Also to blame for the close deadline of June 30 linked to the use of funds for the Pnrr.
This was also denounced by Motus-E, the association that represents companies operating in the sector and for the energy transition. “However, we are committed to giving a hand to companies,” says Francesco Naso, secretary of Motus-E today. “There is the problem of the systems on the freeways. On that part we expected such a result. Things went better with regard to urban centres, but it is clear that the criteria for the next tenders need to be reviewed to prevent part of the resources from not being allocated. It would be a pity”. According to the association “these are resources that are used to implement the network of plants to support the diffusion of electric cars in Italy”. According to Motus-E it would be sufficient to modify some criteria of the tenders as regards areas, lots and the minimum number of columns to better reach the target.
A goal that the ministry led by Pichetto Fratin has also set itself. Although I have not achieved the result set for 30 June on the freeways, the Ministry of the Environment are convinced that, as regards the charging infrastructure for the freeways and for the now uncovered urban areas, it will be possible to recover the funds not committed with the tender which committed the money of the first tranche. It can be done between now and 2024. “A discussion with the operators is already underway – they say from the ministry led by Pichetto Fratin – to stimulate their participation”
2023-07-03 19:08:34
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