HIGHLIGHTS

Italy is one of the biggest markets in Switzerland for both electricity and gas. At the end of 2018 demand for electricity was 322 terawatt hours, 0.5 per cent above the previous year’s level. A total of 167 terawatt hours of electricity were generated using fossil fuels, with 111 terawatt hours produced from renewable resources. Trasmissione Elettricità Rete Nazionale (TERNA), the Italian authority responsible for managing the grid, anticipates growing demand in the next few years. At 73 giga cubic metres, on the other hand, demand for gas came in slightly below the prior year figure.

Repower continued to profit from good market conditions in 2018, posting a very good result. At 81 gigawatt hours, 2018 production from the Giunchetto, Corleto Perticara and Lucera wind farms exceeded expectations. Despite downtime in the first half of the year, the Teverola combined cycle gas turbine plant delivered very good results.

Since December, Repower Renewable has also had a stake in Repower’s generation business. Repower Italy’s new subsidiary is part of a systematic strategy to invest exclusively in renewable generation assets. The joint venture was initiated in partnership with a leading European fund whose role is portfolio management and developing innovative projects in the field of renewable energy. Through its interests the new subsidiary Repower Renewable has a portfolio of nine wind farms, nine solar installations and two small hydro plants. The total value of the portfolio is around 100 million euros. Between the acquisition of the portfolio in December 2018 and the end of the year, 8.5 gigawatt hours had already been generated.

In this interview, Repower CEO Kurt Bobst gives a more in-depth insight into Repower Renewable:

Repower Italy continues to go for growth. In 2018, 175 new agents were hired. This figure underscores the success of the 2018 recruitment campaign. The average acquisition rate exceeded the annual target by a clear margin.

The latest electromobility solution is Repowere, a 100% electrically powered boat which was unveiled in September 2018 at the 58th Salone Nautico in Genoa. Repowere marks the continued evolution of an open boat into a model with a cabin. The boat can be charged using the PALINA and BITTA charging stations developed for electric road vehicles. The Repowere has attracted a great deal of interest, and not just in the media.

Repricer, a direct electricity and gas contract platform for large consumers, was upgraded and continued to generate numerous deals last year. This application plays a major role in customer loyalty and retention.

In 2018 Repower Italy introduced a better method for managing open SEPA direct debits, which helped improve accounts receivable management. It also designed a completely new digital distribution channel that enables customers to get quick and easy flat quotes for electricity and gas packages.

COMMUNICATION

In November 2018 a special evening was held in the Agora auditorium of the Triennale Design Museum in Milan: the six start-ups in the final of the Premio Speciale Repower innovation award presented their projects to a prestigious panel of experts. The initiative was created in collaboration with the Premio Gaetano Marzotto, the most important start-up award at the European level. Winner of the Repower award was Userbot, a start-up working with artificial intelligence and machine learning in the context of CRM systems. The award ceremony was held as part of the closing event of the Premio Marzotto 2018 in the MAXXI museum in Rome.

In this interview Fabio Bocchiola, Head of Repower Italy and member of the Executive Board, gives an insight into the Premio Speciale Repower:

Following the 2017 edition, last year also saw the publication of Repower Italy’s annual white paper giving a general overview of sustainable transport and current issues. The idea for the publication was triggered by great demand for information from the world of sustainable transportation – demand that no other publication to date had managed to meet in an appealing, not-too-technical form. La Stampa, Italy’s third-most important daily newspaper, described the white paper as one of the world’s most relevant sources with respect to sustainable transport. Here you can download the latest edition of the white paper.

For years Repower Italy has sponsored the Triennale di Milano. Unique in Italy, the Triennale Design Museum presents Italian design in a mode that changes every year. In a prominent position in front of the Triennale are two PALINA charging stations and an E-LOUNGE from Repower, artistically showcased by illustrator Michele Tranquillini in a work depicting the future of electromobility.

In June 2018 the first e-mobility route was inaugurated in the municipality of Livigno. Five PALINA charging stations went into operation on public sites, where for six months drivers could charge their electric vehicles for free. Before the inauguration a media conference was held featuring Fabio Bocchiola, Head of Repower Italy and member of the executive board, the mayor of Livigno, the transport assessor, and the mayor of Poschiavo. This just goes to show that electromobility is yet another good reason to strengthen ties between communities – also across borders.

EBIT CONTRIBUTION

The Market Italy segment’s contribution to the Repower Group’s operating income (EBIT) in 2018 came to CHF 29.3 million.