NRRP and ecological transition. A talk with Domenico Villacci

To offer some context: the ecological transition is one of the pillars of the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRRP), approved in 2021 by the Italian government to relaunch the economy following the COVID-19 pandemic. Specifically, it is detailed in “mission 2” of the plan, which is divided into four “components” with goals including the energy transition, prioritising decarbonisation. The total allocation of funds for this mission is € 59.46 billion, in addition to which there are resources of the additional fund dedicated entirely to projects and actions linked to those set-out in the missions.

Professor Domenico Villacci, head of the EnSiEL consortium (the Italian Inter-University Consortium for Energy and Power Systems) and full professor in Electric Power Systems at the University of Naples “Federico II” is an expert in this area. Recently, he has directly managed investments focused particularly on research. In his opinion «discussing the energy system means considering all components of this system: electrical, mechanical and chemical, integrated together», and only this will enable us to face a situation, like the current one, characterised by «increasingly direct functional interdependence», just as the energy crisis has taught us.

«The NRRP will have a big impact on the energy transition and, consequently, on development of the entire national system. I refer to the investments of the NRRP for research, managed by the Ministry of Universities and Research (MUR). These total approximately € 6 million, for the next five years, divided across four measures of the second component of mission 4 “Education and Research”, allocated for research along the chain», explains Villacci, speaking at one of the recent Tech Talks organised Terna, operator of the national transmission grid.

There are four measures, involving:

* works linked to board partnerships extended to universities, research centres and businesses, for € 1,610 million, primarily to finance “fundamental research” activity and/or applied across fields, with a cross-disciplinary, holistic and problem-solving approach

* strengthening of research infrastructure and creation of national research and development champions, for € 1,600 million, to finance activities that can be categorised as “front-line research on strategic topics connected to enabling technology”

* creation and strengthening of innovation ecosystems, for € 1,300 million, which will finance activity to “create and promote innovation and sustainability for designated areas”

* fund to build an integrated infrastructure, research and innovation system, divided into Research Infrastructure and Innovation Infrastructure, for € 1,580 million, financing the “strengthening of cutting-edge laboratories where innovation is forged”.

«There are important investments that should also respond to various needs, in particular to requirements linked to the climate; and therefore creating products for market that move in the direction of the green transition, as well as the digital transition», continues Villacci.

These measures have led to the approval of numerous national projects: we are now in the final stages and launch of project activity is planned for the start of 2023. In addition, for the first time there is exploration of partnership between public and private spheres in innovation infrastructure: structures, tools, systems, resources and services aimed at increasing competition in technological R&D for industry. This measure sets out a minimum 51% quota of investment from private entities and a maximum contribution of 49% from the public sphere.

«In this sense, the EnSiEL consortium assumes various roles, including that of coordination at the national level between 23 member universities. We are also making a contribution as a university network through participation in certain types of projects, specifically for innovation infrastructure where it is important to have broad coordination activity».

In this context, the role of young people is very important and is promoted. There is financing for fixed-term research positions and doctoral researchers. In addition, the various requirements that projects must meet include gender equality: at least 40% of the people involved must be women. Another important requirement regards geographical equality and at least 40% of the overall investment must go to Southern Italy.

«The national energy system should increasingly be considered as a whole, not only from a planning perspective, but above all in terms of design and function», continues Villacci. «Discussing the energy system means considering all components of this system: electrical, mechanical and chemical, integrated together. As a university, today we believe that the future lies in developing planning, design and implementation that considers constraints and energy vectors beyond electricity. This is essential because we have seen in reality that there is increasingly direct functional interdependence, and we are experiencing this every day with the energy crisis. This is a highly complex issue».

How does the energy transition fit into this discussion? «Today we talk about energy transition», explains the Professor. «Energy transition is necessary not only for atmospheric decarbonisation, but even more so to protect the environment of the entire planet that is “massacred” by human activity on a daily basis. Energy transition is not an easy process and carries significant costs, and this needs to be clearly communicated to citizens. The energy transition is not based on receiving, like the majority of citizens expect, but first and foremost giving».

Handling the energy system in an integrated way, including all of its component parts, in short, would help us to identify planning, design and management solutions that are more robust, more reliable and less exposed to errors. «The energy system is ever frequently pushed to conditions close to real performance limitations, and this means that the margins for error that are currently acceptable, both in terms of programming and functional management, are tighter and tighter. A programming, planning or design error can cause significant damage: we have experienced this directly in recent months with the energy crisis that is pushing the limits of the energy system across Europe and particularly in Italy», concludes professor Villacci. But his final comment offered plenty of optimism: «Research, further strengthened with the European resources of the NRRP, will doubtlessly contribute to effectively identifying a response to the country’s energy needs with the most appropriate, environmentally sustainable, economic and, above all, safe solutions».