BATTAINI: WE NEED TO STRENGTHEN THE POWER GRID, TODAY IT IS NOT FIT FOR PURPOSE

Prysmian played a central role during Green & Net Zero Talk 2024, a series of meetings organised by RCS Academy, Corriere della Sera and Pianeta 2030. This year's edition was an important opportunity to discuss the ecological transition and sustainable investment. 

During the first day of the Green & Net Zero Talk 2024 event, Prysmian’s CEO, Massimo Battaini, participated in a panel discussion on the challenges of green technology for the sustainability of the system and businesses. 

“We need to strengthen the power grid, today it is no longer adequate” said Battaini. “There is a double challenge - to create new renewables and connect them to the grid and then, we must upgrade the grid. And overall there is a strong trend for electrification. In New York the law requires new buildings to be connected and heated by electricity and no longer by fossil fuels. Utilities must both invest in renewable energy and make the grid resilient. More investment is needed to strengthen infrastructure. In Germany, for example, the grid was not adequately strengthened in the past, but is now being built. In the United States, there are the famous blackout problems, and the grid needs to be strengthened there too.” 

Battaini: “The energy transition requires the use of renewable sources, therefore, it is necessary to connect these new generation sources to the grid itself. These connections are often made with submarine cables, installed at great depths, and represent a huge business. However, without strengthening the grid, we will have a huge waste of these renewable energies. It is essential that the two drivers of electrification and renewables, are addressed together and to make the transition more sustainable, also economically, it is essential to innovate.” 

“Data centers are large consumers of energy. We are in contact with Google, Microsoft, etc., and they all know they need to invest. They are the first to say that their energy must be clean. Many of them are looking for renewable energy and are the largest case of electrification worldwide. However, if we do not invest in the grid, due to this energy consumption, the possibility of blackouts is much higher.” Battaini said.