Enel (energy)
Encyclopedia
Enel S.p.A. is an Italian
energy
provider, the third-largest in Europe by market capitalization
. Formerly a state-owned monopoly, it is now partially privatised
with Italian government control: the largest shareholders are the Italian Ministry of Economy & Finance (13.9%) and the state-run bank Cassa Depositi e Prestiti
(17.4%).
Its stock is traded on the Milan Stock Exchange
under the symbol 'Enel'. In late 2007, Enel began formal proceedings to delist its American Depositary Receipt
s from the New York Stock Exchange
. The formerly sponsored depositary receipts now trade over the counter
in the U.S. with very light trading volume under the symbols ENLAY and ESOCF. Dividend yield
is currently around 6.5% (2009).
), backed by the Radical Party. The introductory report was given by Eugenio Scalfari
, who stressed the probable beneficial effects on the price system and from the technical point of view and mentioned, exemplified by the experiences of nationalisation that had already taken place in France
and the United Kingdom
.
The conference provoked a great political debate. The electricity system, because of its very nature, was extremely influential at the political level.
The conference almost immediately turned into discussions preparatory to the law, in which the most controversial point was the method of compensation to the former shareholders (these included a large number of small investors).
The opinion of Guido Carli, governor of the Banca d'Italia
, prevailed and compensation was immediately paid. Riccardo Lombardi, on the contrary, had proposed deferring payment of compensation over four years, to be guaranteed with bonds. Carli had threatened to resign if his plan was not adopted, which would have thrown the country into chaos since such an act would have been seen, to international commentators too, as a very serious attack on the credibility of the political and economical system.
One of the most complex technical operations was the creation of a so-called “dispatch” centre, that is a super-centre to coordinate all supplies to Italian users and procure supplies from abroad. It was the starting point for reorganising the system to make it less fragmented. Over the years, the system was put in order and the reorganisation carried out then still forms the operating framework for the current setup.
disaster, which took place at the Vajont reservoir, which was artificially created to produce a large quantity of hydroelectric power. On October 9, 1963 a huge landslide of 260 million cubic metres fell into the reservoir. The dam and power plant had been built by SADE (Società Adriatica di Elettricità – Adriatic Electricity Company) and then sold to Edison and had just been transferred as part of the nationalisation process to the newly set up Enel.
The impact of the landslide created huge waves in the Vajont reservoir, which partially flooded the villages of Erto e Casso
and swept over the dam, totally wiping out the towns in the valley below it: Longarone
, Pirago, Rivalta, Villanova and Faè. Approximately two thousand people died in the disaster. Enel and Montedison, were charged at the ensuing trial as the companies responsible for the disaster, a responsibility considered all more serious because of the predictability of the event. The two companies were forced to pay damages to the communities involved in the catastrophe.
s), Enel achieved the second highest industrial turnover in Italy, second only to Fiat
.
Over the next few years, priority was given to “rural electrification”, that is expansion of the electricity network to country districts as a political commitment; geographical irregularities undoubtedly made this operation costly, requiring construction of a high number of infrastructures (from substations to transmission lines supported by pylons), to guarantee the right to electricity of almost all citizen-users.
which was to lead Italy to adopt “austerity
” policies (1974), was a spur to numerous research projects on possible alternative fuel sources for power production. Enel resumed research into nuclear power and was given permission to build new power plants. Research into other forms of energy, such as wind power, despite the fact that they had for some time been the subject of in-depth analysis, were set aside in favour of upgrading of the old hydroelectric power stations, many of which were fitted with equipment to repump the water. Yet inconveniences regarded many aspects of daily life: exceptional regulations involving such measures as compulsory early closing of shops and closing down TV transmissions earlier, plus countless other expedients, were introduced to drastically reduce consumption of electricity that up to only a short time previously has been so strongly promoted. Consumption dropped and the government issued a National Energy Plan (1975) which essentially marked a decided shift towards nuclear power. Consumption, however, dropped due to a slump in industrial production too, a sign of a crisis that had originated in energy but had spread to the overall economic situation; this had an impact on the population who for once were more willing to accept restrictive regulations, such as limitations to home heating (still in force).
in 1986. This event certainly had an influence on the proposal and above all on the result of the referendums held on 8 November 1987, when the population voted to reject the use of nuclear power.
The next year a law by decree (no. 333) was passed on 11 July 1992, and converted into law 8 August 1992, no. 359, as a result of which Enel became a joint stock company whose main shareholder was the Italian Treasury.
In 1999 the so-called Bersani Decree led to the setting up within the Enel Group of a new company called Terna to which all the company assets related to the high voltage power grid were transferred. Enel remained the sole shareholder of Terna
until 2004 while its management, to guarantee neutrality, was entrusted to a newly set up public agency: GRTN (Gestore della Rete di Trasmissione Nazionale – National power grid manager). Subsequently, Terna was listed on the Stock Exchange and 30% of its shares were assigned to the Cassa Depositi e Prestiti.
In 2001, the telecommunications company Infostrada was bought for 12 billion euros from the German company Mannesmann
, and was then merged with Wind
, a mobile phone company already controlled by Enel.
In May 2005, Enel sold 70% of Wind to Naguib Sawiris
, President of the Orascom Telecom Holding
, through a corporate vehicle (Weather Investments
). In December 2006 Enel completed its exit from the telecommunications industry with the sale of a further 26.1% to Weather Investment.
The issue of Enel’s monopoly in the specific market of electricity had been raised when legal aspects related to the principles of free competition were discussed. The case had some similarities with the one previously handled for Telecom Italia, a state-owned telephone monopoly. In order to encourage liberalisation, Enel was forced to transfer management of the power grid (Terna) subsequently giving up its ownership too, and to sell 15,000 MW of power plants (a capacity similar to that of the whole of Belgium) to its competitors, as well as selling the distribution network in major cities (Rome, Milan, Turin, Verona, Brescia, Trento, Modena, etc.) to the former municipal companies.
The Italian electricity market, one of the most liberalised in Europe, currently comprises around 100 utility companies including major European groups such as France’s Électricité de France
and GDF Suez
, Germany’s E.ON
and RWE
, Switzerland’s Atel and Retia, and Austria’s Verbund
. The Electric Energy and Gas Authority has often cited the case of liberalisation of the electricity market as a success.
In its strictest sense, denationalisation means transfer to private parties of more than 50% of shares in the corporate capital or in any case of a sufficient portion of the shares to ensure the relative majority of the voting rights and control of the company is privately owned. The Treasury is still Enel’s controlling shareholder, but over time has sold approximately 70% of the company’s shares, now owned by around 1.3 million small Italian investors, investment funds, banks and insurance companies all over the world.
The aim of this energy policy is the construction of medium-sized power plants, principally generated from renewable sources.
Solar energy provides only a marginal share of the national electricity requirements: less than 0.001%, while in Germany it accounts for as much as 0.3% of the energy produced. Enel operates in this sector, which in any case represents an extremely interesting option for future electricity generation: Enel Green Power
runs the 3.3 MW power plant at Serre Persano, one of the largest photovoltaic plants in the world and is completing around 50 MW of photovoltaic installations elsewhere in Italy, with major plans for growth over the coming years.
At Priolo Gargallo, Enel has started up the Archimede Project
, a 5 MW solar thermal plant jointly designed with ENEA
(Ente Nazionale per le Nuove technologie e l’Ambiente - National Council for New Technology, Energy and the Environment). This plant, inaugurated on 14 July 2010, is based on an innovative idea for making use of solar energy which consists of a process of industrial integration between a solar thermodynamic plant and a conventional gas combined cycle power plant. Over the past three years, with Enel.si, the leading company in the photovoltaic market at national level, Enel has supervised the installation of over 50 MW of photovoltaic plants for industrial, service and domestic customers.
These plants will permit production over the coming years of about 61,500 MWh per year of electricity from solar sources at national level, equivalent to the consumption of around 20,000 Italian families, with a total annual saving of around 36,000 tons of .
Wind power has increased exceptionally over the past few years. It is estimated that it will continue to grow in the near future at a rate of approximately 30% per year. In Italy over the past decade it has been the source that has had the greatest increase. Enel Green Power currently runs 17 wind parks, with an overall capacity of 331 MW. Enel.si has also recently launched a new offer of miniature wind turbines for families: small wind power generators that can power individual houses, cottages, farm holiday establishments, but also small weather stations, or even boats, provided that there is sufficient wind in the area.
In the field of renewable sources, Italy
can claim world leadership in geothermal energy know-how (with 31 geothermal power plants in Tuscany and a production of over 5 billion kWh per year) which it is exporting to the United States and Latin America. Further increases in geothermal power production in Italy is an important target in the strategy of Enel Green Power.
Additionally hydroelectric power makes a significant contribution to satisfying Italy’s demand for electricity covering around 15% of its requirements. Enel has therefore built up an impressive level of know-how that makes it a world leader with regard to development of this renewable source. Today, since potential hydroelectric sources are now almost fully exploited, the company is looking with particular interest at the development of small-scale hydro power which could provide a significant contribution to coverage of the demand for electricity. Small-scale hydro power plants can be constructed and run using methods that have little impact on the territory and can be managed by small communities, as well as being integrated into a multiple and balanced use of water resources. Enel Green Power currently manages over 270 local hydroelectric plants in Italy
, with a total capacity of 1,507 MW.
Enel is also taking part in a European platform for research into smart grids, the distribution grids of the future, which permit consumers to interact in real time with the grid: finding out the current price of energy, deciding whether to consume electricity at that moment or to put off consumption to times when there is a lower load, analysing whether it is convenient to generate power for their own consumption. The result will be an electricity supply grid similar to an internet network in which the various users, consulting each other and exchanging the necessary information, can define energy flows locally, while respecting technical and safety restrictions.
’s second listed utility by installed capacity. It is an integrated player, active in the power and gas sectors. Enel operates in more than 40 countries worldwide, has around 95,000 MW of net installed capacity and sells power and gas to more than 61 million customers.
, North America
and Latin America
. After taking over the Spanish electricity company Endesa
, together with its partner Acciona
, Enel is now in business in 40 countries, with a capacity of around 83,000 MW, and serves over 49 million customers supplying electricity and gas.
Enel is also the second utility company in the natural gas market in Italy
, with approximately 2.6 million customers and a 10% market share in terms of volume.
Approximately 80,000 people work for Enel running a highly diversified power station park including hydroelectric, thermoelectric, nuclear, geothermal, wind and photovoltaic generation. In 2009, Enel posted revenues of more than 64 billion euros (+4.7% compared with 2008), EBITDA of more than 16 billion euros (+12.1% compared with 2008) and net income of 5.4 billion euros (+1.9% compared with 2008). As of June 30th 2010, the Group has over 80,000 employees and operates a wide range of hydroelectric, thermoelectric, nuclear, geothermal, wind-power, photovoltaic and other renewables’ plants. About 44% of the power generated by Enel is carbon free. Enel is strongly committed to the development of renewable energy sources and to the development of new environmental friendly technologies.
On December 1, 2008 Enel established Enel Green Power
, the Group’s Company dedicated to the development and management of power generation from renewable energy, operating around 5,800 MW of installed capacity relying on hydro, wind, geothermal, solar, biomass and co-generation sources in Europe and the Americas.
Enel was the first utility in the world to replace its 32 million Italian customers’ traditional electromechanical meters with modern electronic devices that make it possible to take meter readings in real time and manage contractual relationships remotely. This innovation, which is key to the development of smart grids, has attracted interest from many utilities around the world. In Spain, Endesa is about to install 13 million electronic meters to its customers.
After completing the sale of non-core assets, Enel has focussed on consolidating the businesses taken over abroad in the electricity and gas sectors and further integrating its business.
and in the Americas, Enel is one of the world leaders in the power generation industry. Additionally, Enel is strongly committed to increasing the percentage of power from renewable sources and to research and development of new environmentally friendly technologies with many projects in Italy
and abroad.
On 17 September 2008, Enel set up Enel Green Power, the Group company devoted to development and management of electricity generation from renewable sources everywhere in the world, a company that operates hydroelectric, wind power, geothermal, photovoltaic and biomass plants producing a total of 4,500 MW in Europe and in the Americas.
Enel has power plants in Europe
(Bulgaria
, France
, Greece
, Italy
, Romania
, Russia
, Slovakia
and Spain
), in North America
(Canada
and the United States
) and in Latin America
(Brazil
, Chile
, Costa Rica
, El Salvador
, Guatemala
, Mexico
and Panama
). With Endesa
, Enel’s presence is extended to Argentina
, Colombia
, Morocco
, Peru
and Portugal
.
, Enel owns 92.06% of the share capital of Endesa
, the leading power company of the country and first private power company in Latin America
. Furthermore, Enel Green Power runs operations in the renewables field in Spain and Portugal.
, Enel has plants generating 788 MW (water, geothermal, wind and biomass) and has recently signed an agreement with TradeWind Energy in the United States to develop over 1000 MW of new generation wind power plants. In March 2007, operating through its subsidiary Enel North America, Enel announced the takeover of AMP Resources. The takeover comprises, in the geothermal development area, four projects at an advanced stage and one that is now operational which will add around 150 MW of power to Enel operations in America, as well as providing access to a range of future opportunities. On 2 October 2008, Enel inaugurated the 250 MW Smoky Hills Wind Farm
in Kansas, the largest built by the group in the world and the largest ever built in Kansas. On 17 April 2009 two innovative geothermal plants were inaugurated by Enel Green Power in Churchill County in Nevada. Stillwater and Salt Wells, as the new plants are called, have a total gross installed capacity of 65 MW.
, Enel owns 668 MW of wind and hydroelectric plants. Through Endesa
, the Enel Group is among the leading players in Latin America
around 16 GW installed capacity from thermoelectric, large hydro and renewables, of which 4.4 GW in Argentina
, 1 GW in Brazil
, 5.6 GW in Chile
, 2.9 GW in Colombia
and 1.8 GW in Peru
.
, Enel is present today in the French nuclear sector via a 12.5% stake in the new generation Evolutionary Pressurized Reactor (EPR), whose first plant (1,600 MW) is currently being constructed at Flamanville, in Normandy. In the same country, Enel is also present in the renewables sector through Enel Green Power with 68 MW of operational wind turbines and a pipeline of around 500 MW.
In the power trading sector, Enel owns 5% of the French power stock exchange Powernext. Over more, the company supplied 3.3 TWh to major French consumers in 2009.
.
, Enel owns 66% of Slovenské elektrárne (SE), the largest electricity generator in the country, and the second-largest in Central and Eastern Europe, with a generation capacity of 5,345 MW, a mix of nuclear, thermal and hydro assets.
, Enel sells electricity through Enel Energie and Enel Energie Muntenia. It distributes electricity through Enel Distributie Banat, Enel Distributie Dobrogea and Enel Distributie Muntenia. Overall, the group has 2.6 million customers in the country.
, Enel is a vertically integrated operator from upstream to generation and sale of electricity. In the upstream sector, through SeverEnergia (a consortium 19.6% Enel, 51% Gazprom, 29.4% Eni) Enel operates a group of promising natural gas fields. Currently, Enel owns 56.39% of Enel OGK-5, formerly known as JCS Fifth Generation Company of the Wholesale Electricity Market (“OGK-5”). Enel OGK-5 has four thermoelectric power plants for about 8,200 MW. The plants are positioned in the highest growth rate areas of the country. In the power sale sector, Enel owns 49.5% of RusEnergoSbyt, the most important Russian trader, providing electricity to major industrial customers.
Enel is committed to a process of diversification of energy sources to reduce dependency on oil and gas and, as a consequence, also reduce the price of energy.
On 30 July 2008, Enel inaugurated a new clean coal power plant at Civitavecchia, a project which began at the end of 2003. It involved conversion of an old power plant run on fuel oil. The new plant has a total capacity of 1,980 MW, comprises three units and is able to satisfy 50% of electricity demands for the Lazio Region. By using improved technology, the plant reduces total emissions by 88% and emissions by 18%. Enel has plans for a similar conversion of the plant at Porto Tolle (Rovigo), where the authorisation procedure is still under way.
With regard to gas, some years ago Enel concluded construction of 5 combined cycle power plants to replace traditional gas-fuelled plants, increasing efficiency and reducing emissions. With its subsidiary Nuove Energie, Enel is also working on a project to build a regassifier with a capacity of 8 billion cubic metres at Porto Empedocle (Agrigento, Sicily), for which the authorisation procedure is nearing conclusion. The plant will make it possible to import gas into Italy in liquid form, using special methane tanker ships, and then feed it into the distribution mains.
Attention to ethical aspects has also increased over recent years, recognised at world level with the inclusion of Enel in the most prestigious stock exchange indexes which take into account the commitment of companies to Corporate Social Responsibility.
After fulfilling the obligations under Italian law by completing the sale of Terna (the company that manages the national power grid), Enel has devoted itself to internationalisation of its business by finalising a number of very significant take-overs including Slovenské elektrárne (SE) the most important electricity company in Slovakia and the second most important in Central-Eastern Europe, a number of distribution companies in Romania, the Russian Ogk 5 generating company and the Spanish electricity company Endesa.
At the end of 2006, the Group presented a pro-environment plan, involving investments in renewable sources and for research and application of the best technologies for reduction of emissions. In this field, Enel is working on a number of avant-garde projects for capture and storage. Considered by the European Commission to be some of the most interesting in this field, these projects aim to generate electricity from fossil fuel with “zero emissions”: using capture and storage technologies, flue gases will in fact be captured in the chimney stacks and safely stored in deep aquifers or exhausted methane or oil fields.
At the end of 2008/beginning of 2009, Enel began selling off a number of assets to reduce its financial debts, which had increased over the previous months, due to the takeover of 92% of the capital of Endesa. The assets sold included Enel Linee Alta Tensione (high voltage power transmission grid), sold by Enel Distribuzione to Terna in December 2008, and 80% of Enel Rete Gas (31,000 km of gas distribution pipelines, 99.98% controlled by Enel Distribuzione which will in any case maintain a minority shareholding of around 20%), on 29 May 2009 to a consortium headed by F2I and AXA
, for the sum of 480 million euros. The contract will now have to be approved by the Autorità Garante della Concorrenza e del Mercato
(the Italian Competition Authority) and AEEG (the Italian Authority for Electricity and Gas).
Again to improve the financial stability of the Group, on 1 June 2009 Enel launched a capital increase of a total of around 8 billion euros.
Following full liberalisation of the electricity market for domestic customers too, which took place on 1 July 2007, Enel has launched a series of commercial offers addressed to families. The latest “Energia tutto compreso” (all-inclusive energy), offers customers a fixed price for their electricity, based on selection of the level of consumption that best suits their needs.
was founded in October
2003 by the project, supported by Enel
and its subsidiaries, in order to create a non-profit organization separate from the company itself and able to carry out activities in support of communities, families and individuals while maintaining the ideals of cooperation
.
were 10,023 million (+25.0%), EBIT
were 6,990 million (+20.1%), the Group’s net profits were 3,977 million (+31.0%), net financial borrowing increased to 55,791 million due to the Endesa
take-over, total net assets were 23,789 million, the Debt-Equity ratio was 2.35. The dividend offered for the whole 2007 financial year was 0.49 euros per share (of which 0.2 euros per share was paid in advance in November 2007).
were 14,318 million euros (+45.5%), EBIT
were 9 million euros (+40.7%), the Group’s net profits increased to 5,293 million euros (+35.2%) net financial borrowing dropped to 49,967 million euros (-10.4%). The dividend offered for the whole 2008 financial year was 0.49 euros per share (of which 0.2 euros per share was paid in advance in November 2008).
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
energy
Energy
In physics, energy is an indirectly observed quantity. It is often understood as the ability a physical system has to do work on other physical systems...
provider, the third-largest in Europe by market capitalization
Market capitalization
Market capitalization is a measurement of the value of the ownership interest that shareholders hold in a business enterprise. It is equal to the share price times the number of shares outstanding of a publicly traded company...
. Formerly a state-owned monopoly, it is now partially privatised
Privatization
Privatization is the incidence or process of transferring ownership of a business, enterprise, agency or public service from the public sector to the private sector or to private non-profit organizations...
with Italian government control: the largest shareholders are the Italian Ministry of Economy & Finance (13.9%) and the state-run bank Cassa Depositi e Prestiti
Cassa depositi e prestiti
Cassa Depositi e Prestiti is an Italian bank founded 1850 in Torino and constituted in its current form as joint-stock company on December 12, 2003...
(17.4%).
Its stock is traded on the Milan Stock Exchange
Borsa Italiana
The Borsa Italiana S.p.A., based in Milan, is Italy's main stock exchange. It was privatised in 1997 and is a part of the London Stock Exchange Group plc since 2007. In 2005, the companies listed on the Borsa were worth US$890 billion...
under the symbol 'Enel'. In late 2007, Enel began formal proceedings to delist its American Depositary Receipt
American Depositary Receipt
An American depositary receipt is a negotiable security that represents the underlying securities of a non-U.S. company that trades in the US financial markets...
s from the New York Stock Exchange
New York Stock Exchange
The New York Stock Exchange is a stock exchange located at 11 Wall Street in Lower Manhattan, New York City, USA. It is by far the world's largest stock exchange by market capitalization of its listed companies at 13.39 trillion as of Dec 2010...
. The formerly sponsored depositary receipts now trade over the counter
Over-the-counter (finance)
Within the derivatives markets, many products are traded through exchanges. An exchange has the benefit of facilitating liquidity and also mitigates all credit risk concerning the default of a member of the exchange. Products traded on the exchange must be well standardised to transparent trading....
in the U.S. with very light trading volume under the symbols ENLAY and ESOCF. Dividend yield
Dividend yield
The dividend yield or the dividend-price ratio on a company stock is the company's total annual dividend payments divided by its market capitalization, or the dividend per share, divided by the price per share. It is often expressed as a percentage...
is currently around 6.5% (2009).
The Amici del Mondo
In 1960, an important conference on nationalisation of the electricity industry was organised by the Amici del Mondo (Friends of the World, a thinktank group that had splt from the Liberal PartyItalian Liberal Party
The Italian Liberal Party was a liberal political party in Italy.-Origins:The origins of liberalism in Italy came from the so-called "Historical Right", a parliamentary group formed by Camillo Benso di Cavour in the Parliament of the Kingdom of Sardinia following the 1848 revolution...
), backed by the Radical Party. The introductory report was given by Eugenio Scalfari
Eugenio Scalfari
Eugenio Scalfari is an Italian journalist, editor of the news magazine L'espresso , former member of parliament in the Italian Chamber of Deputies , co-founder of the newspaper La Repubblica and its editor from 1976 to 1996.-Biography:A law graduate with a interest in journalism and politics,...
, who stressed the probable beneficial effects on the price system and from the technical point of view and mentioned, exemplified by the experiences of nationalisation that had already taken place in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
and the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
.
The conference provoked a great political debate. The electricity system, because of its very nature, was extremely influential at the political level.
The conference almost immediately turned into discussions preparatory to the law, in which the most controversial point was the method of compensation to the former shareholders (these included a large number of small investors).
The opinion of Guido Carli, governor of the Banca d'Italia
Banca d'Italia
Banca d'Italia is the central bank of Italy and part of the European System of Central Banks. It is located in Palazzo Koch, Roma, via Nazionale...
, prevailed and compensation was immediately paid. Riccardo Lombardi, on the contrary, had proposed deferring payment of compensation over four years, to be guaranteed with bonds. Carli had threatened to resign if his plan was not adopted, which would have thrown the country into chaos since such an act would have been seen, to international commentators too, as a very serious attack on the credibility of the political and economical system.
Nationalisation
The first task that Enel faced was to take over no less than 1,270 companies operating in the electricity industry and give them a common management, technical and operational organisation.One of the most complex technical operations was the creation of a so-called “dispatch” centre, that is a super-centre to coordinate all supplies to Italian users and procure supplies from abroad. It was the starting point for reorganising the system to make it less fragmented. Over the years, the system was put in order and the reorganisation carried out then still forms the operating framework for the current setup.
The Vajont disaster
Enel was involved in the Vajont DamVajont Dam
The Vajont Dam is a disused dam, completed in 1959 in the valley of the Vajont river under Monte Toc, 100 km north of Venice, Italy...
disaster, which took place at the Vajont reservoir, which was artificially created to produce a large quantity of hydroelectric power. On October 9, 1963 a huge landslide of 260 million cubic metres fell into the reservoir. The dam and power plant had been built by SADE (Società Adriatica di Elettricità – Adriatic Electricity Company) and then sold to Edison and had just been transferred as part of the nationalisation process to the newly set up Enel.
The impact of the landslide created huge waves in the Vajont reservoir, which partially flooded the villages of Erto e Casso
Erto e Casso
Erto e Casso is a municipality in the Province of Pordenone in the Italian region Friuli-Venezia Giulia, located about 130 km northwest of Trieste and about 40 km northwest of Pordenone.-Geography:...
and swept over the dam, totally wiping out the towns in the valley below it: Longarone
Longarone
Longarone is a town and comune on the banks of the Piave in the province of Belluno, in North-East Italy. It is situated 35 kilometers from Belluno....
, Pirago, Rivalta, Villanova and Faè. Approximately two thousand people died in the disaster. Enel and Montedison, were charged at the ensuing trial as the companies responsible for the disaster, a responsibility considered all more serious because of the predictability of the event. The two companies were forced to pay damages to the communities involved in the catastrophe.
Widespread use of electricity
When consumptions increased along with rapid changes in lifestyles (due for example to the huge popularity of home applianceHome appliance
Home appliances are electrical/mechanical machines which accomplish some household functions, such as cooking or cleaning. Home appliances can be classified into:*Major appliances, or White goods*Small appliances, or Brown goods...
s), Enel achieved the second highest industrial turnover in Italy, second only to Fiat
Fiat
FIAT, an acronym for Fabbrica Italiana Automobili Torino , is an Italian automobile manufacturer, engine manufacturer, financial, and industrial group based in Turin in the Italian region of Piedmont. Fiat was founded in 1899 by a group of investors including Giovanni Agnelli...
.
Over the next few years, priority was given to “rural electrification”, that is expansion of the electricity network to country districts as a political commitment; geographical irregularities undoubtedly made this operation costly, requiring construction of a high number of infrastructures (from substations to transmission lines supported by pylons), to guarantee the right to electricity of almost all citizen-users.
Oil crisis
The international oil crisis1973 oil crisis
The 1973 oil crisis started in October 1973, when the members of Organization of Arab Petroleum Exporting Countries or the OAPEC proclaimed an oil embargo. This was "in response to the U.S. decision to re-supply the Israeli military" during the Yom Kippur war. It lasted until March 1974. With the...
which was to lead Italy to adopt “austerity
Austerity
In economics, austerity is a policy of deficit-cutting, lower spending, and a reduction in the amount of benefits and public services provided. Austerity policies are often used by governments to reduce their deficit spending while sometimes coupled with increases in taxes to pay back creditors to...
” policies (1974), was a spur to numerous research projects on possible alternative fuel sources for power production. Enel resumed research into nuclear power and was given permission to build new power plants. Research into other forms of energy, such as wind power, despite the fact that they had for some time been the subject of in-depth analysis, were set aside in favour of upgrading of the old hydroelectric power stations, many of which were fitted with equipment to repump the water. Yet inconveniences regarded many aspects of daily life: exceptional regulations involving such measures as compulsory early closing of shops and closing down TV transmissions earlier, plus countless other expedients, were introduced to drastically reduce consumption of electricity that up to only a short time previously has been so strongly promoted. Consumption dropped and the government issued a National Energy Plan (1975) which essentially marked a decided shift towards nuclear power. Consumption, however, dropped due to a slump in industrial production too, a sign of a crisis that had originated in energy but had spread to the overall economic situation; this had an impact on the population who for once were more willing to accept restrictive regulations, such as limitations to home heating (still in force).
The antinuclear decision
Italy remained, however, the major European country most dependent upon thermoelectric power generation, and thus the country which suffered most on each of the numerous occasions when there were problems for supplies of oil or increases in its cost. Such problems were leading to new plans for nuclear power when the disaster struck at the Ukraine nuclear power plant in ChernobylChernobyl disaster
The Chernobyl disaster was a nuclear accident that occurred on 26 April 1986 at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant in Ukraine , which was under the direct jurisdiction of the central authorities in Moscow...
in 1986. This event certainly had an influence on the proposal and above all on the result of the referendums held on 8 November 1987, when the population voted to reject the use of nuclear power.
“De-nationalisation”
Law 9/1991 authorised Enel to set up companies operating in the sectors where it did business, at the same time paving the way to partial liberalisation of electricity production.The next year a law by decree (no. 333) was passed on 11 July 1992, and converted into law 8 August 1992, no. 359, as a result of which Enel became a joint stock company whose main shareholder was the Italian Treasury.
In 1999 the so-called Bersani Decree led to the setting up within the Enel Group of a new company called Terna to which all the company assets related to the high voltage power grid were transferred. Enel remained the sole shareholder of Terna
Terna (company)
Terna S.p.A. - Rete Elettrica Nazionale is a company based in Rome which owns and operates around 98% of the Italian high-voltage power transmission grid. Formerly a wholly owned subsidiary of Enel, the company was IPO-ed in 2004. Enel continues to hold around 5% of the firm, with the major...
until 2004 while its management, to guarantee neutrality, was entrusted to a newly set up public agency: GRTN (Gestore della Rete di Trasmissione Nazionale – National power grid manager). Subsequently, Terna was listed on the Stock Exchange and 30% of its shares were assigned to the Cassa Depositi e Prestiti.
In 2001, the telecommunications company Infostrada was bought for 12 billion euros from the German company Mannesmann
Mannesmann
Mannesmann AG was a German corporation with headquarters in Düsseldorf. The company was founded in 1890 originally to produce seamless steel tubes. It was traded on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange. The company had 130,860 employees worldwide and revenues of €23.27 billion.Over time, Mannesmann...
, and was then merged with Wind
WIND (Italy)
Wind Telecomunicazioni SpA is an Italian telecom operator which offers integrated mobile, fixed and IPTV and Internet services and has also a sister network in Greece: WIND Hellas...
, a mobile phone company already controlled by Enel.
In May 2005, Enel sold 70% of Wind to Naguib Sawiris
Naguib Sawiris
Naguib Onsi Sawiris is an Egyptian businessman and politician. He was executive chairman of the telecommunications companies Wind Telecom and Orascom Telecom Holding before turning to politics in May 2011...
, President of the Orascom Telecom Holding
Orascom Telecom Holding
Orascom Telecom Holding S.A.E. is a leading international telecommunications company operating GSM networks in the Middle East, Africa, Canada and Asia. It started its operations in Egypt by launching the first egyptian mobile operator in 1998, ....
, through a corporate vehicle (Weather Investments
Weather Investments
Wind Telecom S.p.A. , is a privately held telecommunications investment company previously 97% controlled by the Sawiris family Wind Telecom S.p.A. (former Weather Investments S.p.A), is a privately held telecommunications investment company previously 97% controlled by the Sawiris family Wind...
). In December 2006 Enel completed its exit from the telecommunications industry with the sale of a further 26.1% to Weather Investment.
Monopoly and free competition
Liberalisation of the electricity market took place in 1999 with the so-called Bersani Decree, which certainly had a huge impact on the subsequent development of Enel.The issue of Enel’s monopoly in the specific market of electricity had been raised when legal aspects related to the principles of free competition were discussed. The case had some similarities with the one previously handled for Telecom Italia, a state-owned telephone monopoly. In order to encourage liberalisation, Enel was forced to transfer management of the power grid (Terna) subsequently giving up its ownership too, and to sell 15,000 MW of power plants (a capacity similar to that of the whole of Belgium) to its competitors, as well as selling the distribution network in major cities (Rome, Milan, Turin, Verona, Brescia, Trento, Modena, etc.) to the former municipal companies.
The Italian electricity market, one of the most liberalised in Europe, currently comprises around 100 utility companies including major European groups such as France’s Électricité de France
Électricité de France
Électricité de France S.A. is the second largest French utility company. Headquartered in Paris, France, with €65.2 billion in revenues in 2010, EDF operates a diverse portfolio of 120,000+ megawatts of generation capacity in Europe, Latin America, Asia, the Middle East and Africa.EDF is one of...
and GDF Suez
GDF Suez
GDF Suez S.A. is a French multinational energy company which operates in the fields of electricity generation and distribution, natural gas and renewable energy. The world's largest utility after taking control of Britain's International Power, the company was initially formed by the merger of Gaz...
, Germany’s E.ON
E.ON
E.ON AG, marketed with an interpunct as E•ON, is the holding company of the world's largest investor-owned energy service provider based in Düsseldorf, Germany. The name comes from the Greek word aeon which means eternity....
and RWE
RWE
RWE AG , is a German electric power and natural gas public utility company based in Essen. Through its various subsidiaries, the energy company contributes electricity and gas to more than 20 million electricity customers and 10 million gas customers, principally in Europe...
, Switzerland’s Atel and Retia, and Austria’s Verbund
Verbund
Verbund AG, formerly known as Verbundgesellschaft or Österreichische Elektrizitätswirtschafts-AG, is Austria's largest electricity provider. Verbund covers around 40 percent of electricity demands in Austria and generates 90 percent thereof from Hydro power. In addition, Verbund operates the...
. The Electric Energy and Gas Authority has often cited the case of liberalisation of the electricity market as a success.
In its strictest sense, denationalisation means transfer to private parties of more than 50% of shares in the corporate capital or in any case of a sufficient portion of the shares to ensure the relative majority of the voting rights and control of the company is privately owned. The Treasury is still Enel’s controlling shareholder, but over time has sold approximately 70% of the company’s shares, now owned by around 1.3 million small Italian investors, investment funds, banks and insurance companies all over the world.
Devolution of energy and renewable sources
After the denationalisation of the single centralised agency that managed energy, the production of which was concentrated in very few “large sized” power plants, discussions began on energy devolution whereby each community would produce, and use locally, the energy it needs.The aim of this energy policy is the construction of medium-sized power plants, principally generated from renewable sources.
Solar energy provides only a marginal share of the national electricity requirements: less than 0.001%, while in Germany it accounts for as much as 0.3% of the energy produced. Enel operates in this sector, which in any case represents an extremely interesting option for future electricity generation: Enel Green Power
Enel Green Power
Enel Green Power S.p.A. is an Italian multinational renewable energy corporation, headquartered in Rome. The company was formed as a subsidiary of the power generation firm Enel in December 2008, grouping its global renewable energy interests...
runs the 3.3 MW power plant at Serre Persano, one of the largest photovoltaic plants in the world and is completing around 50 MW of photovoltaic installations elsewhere in Italy, with major plans for growth over the coming years.
At Priolo Gargallo, Enel has started up the Archimede Project
Archimede Project
Archimede solar power plant is a concentrated solar power plant at Priolo Gargallo near Syracuse in Sicily, Italy. The plant was inaugurated on 14 July 2010. It is the first concentrated solar power plant to use molten salt for heat transfer and storage which is integrated with a combined-cycle...
, a 5 MW solar thermal plant jointly designed with ENEA
ENEA (Italy)
The L'Agenzia nazionale per le nuove tecnologie, l'energia e lo sviluppo economico sostenibile is an Italian Government sponsored research and development agency...
(Ente Nazionale per le Nuove technologie e l’Ambiente - National Council for New Technology, Energy and the Environment). This plant, inaugurated on 14 July 2010, is based on an innovative idea for making use of solar energy which consists of a process of industrial integration between a solar thermodynamic plant and a conventional gas combined cycle power plant. Over the past three years, with Enel.si, the leading company in the photovoltaic market at national level, Enel has supervised the installation of over 50 MW of photovoltaic plants for industrial, service and domestic customers.
These plants will permit production over the coming years of about 61,500 MWh per year of electricity from solar sources at national level, equivalent to the consumption of around 20,000 Italian families, with a total annual saving of around 36,000 tons of .
Wind power has increased exceptionally over the past few years. It is estimated that it will continue to grow in the near future at a rate of approximately 30% per year. In Italy over the past decade it has been the source that has had the greatest increase. Enel Green Power currently runs 17 wind parks, with an overall capacity of 331 MW. Enel.si has also recently launched a new offer of miniature wind turbines for families: small wind power generators that can power individual houses, cottages, farm holiday establishments, but also small weather stations, or even boats, provided that there is sufficient wind in the area.
In the field of renewable sources, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
can claim world leadership in geothermal energy know-how (with 31 geothermal power plants in Tuscany and a production of over 5 billion kWh per year) which it is exporting to the United States and Latin America. Further increases in geothermal power production in Italy is an important target in the strategy of Enel Green Power.
Additionally hydroelectric power makes a significant contribution to satisfying Italy’s demand for electricity covering around 15% of its requirements. Enel has therefore built up an impressive level of know-how that makes it a world leader with regard to development of this renewable source. Today, since potential hydroelectric sources are now almost fully exploited, the company is looking with particular interest at the development of small-scale hydro power which could provide a significant contribution to coverage of the demand for electricity. Small-scale hydro power plants can be constructed and run using methods that have little impact on the territory and can be managed by small communities, as well as being integrated into a multiple and balanced use of water resources. Enel Green Power currently manages over 270 local hydroelectric plants in Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, with a total capacity of 1,507 MW.
Enel is also taking part in a European platform for research into smart grids, the distribution grids of the future, which permit consumers to interact in real time with the grid: finding out the current price of energy, deciding whether to consume electricity at that moment or to put off consumption to times when there is a lower load, analysing whether it is convenient to generate power for their own consumption. The result will be an electricity supply grid similar to an internet network in which the various users, consulting each other and exchanging the necessary information, can define energy flows locally, while respecting technical and safety restrictions.
Profile
Enel is Italy’s largest power company, and EuropeEurope
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
’s second listed utility by installed capacity. It is an integrated player, active in the power and gas sectors. Enel operates in more than 40 countries worldwide, has around 95,000 MW of net installed capacity and sells power and gas to more than 61 million customers.
Carbon intensity
| year | Production (TWh TWH TWH or twh could refer to:*Tennessee Walking Horse, a breed of horse* Toronto Western Hospital, a hospital in Toronto, Canada* TWH Bus & Coach, a bus company in Romford, England* Terrawatt-hour, measure of electrical energy, 1012 watt-hours... ) |
Emission (Gt CO2) | kg CO2/MWh |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | 228 | 120.4 | 529 |
| 2003 | 232 | 115.51 | 499 |
| 2004 | 222 | 111.92 | 514 |
| 2005 | 206 | 106.52 | 528 |
| 2006 | 193 | 92.99 | 495 |
| 2007 | 185 | 92.25 | 498 |
| 2008 | 186 | 83 | 447 |
| 2009 | 170 | 77.29 | 454 |
Business
Enel produces, distributes and sells electricity and gas all over EuropeEurope
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
and Latin America
Latin America
Latin America is a region of the Americas where Romance languages – particularly Spanish and Portuguese, and variably French – are primarily spoken. Latin America has an area of approximately 21,069,500 km² , almost 3.9% of the Earth's surface or 14.1% of its land surface area...
. After taking over the Spanish electricity company Endesa
Endesa (Spain)
Endesa, S.A. is the largest electric utility company in Spain. The firm, a majority-owned subsidiary of the Italian utility company Enel, has 10 million customers in Spain, with domestic annual generation of over 97,600 GWh from nuclear, fossil-fueled, hydroelectric, and renewable resource power...
, together with its partner Acciona
Acciona
Acciona, S.A., is a Spanish conglomerate group dedicated to civil engineering, construction and infrastructure.The company was founded in 1997 through the merger of Entrecanales y Tavora and Cubiertas y MZOV. The company's headquarters is in Alcobendas, Community of Madrid, Spain. The company's U.S...
, Enel is now in business in 40 countries, with a capacity of around 83,000 MW, and serves over 49 million customers supplying electricity and gas.
Enel is also the second utility company in the natural gas market in Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, with approximately 2.6 million customers and a 10% market share in terms of volume.
Approximately 80,000 people work for Enel running a highly diversified power station park including hydroelectric, thermoelectric, nuclear, geothermal, wind and photovoltaic generation. In 2009, Enel posted revenues of more than 64 billion euros (+4.7% compared with 2008), EBITDA of more than 16 billion euros (+12.1% compared with 2008) and net income of 5.4 billion euros (+1.9% compared with 2008). As of June 30th 2010, the Group has over 80,000 employees and operates a wide range of hydroelectric, thermoelectric, nuclear, geothermal, wind-power, photovoltaic and other renewables’ plants. About 44% of the power generated by Enel is carbon free. Enel is strongly committed to the development of renewable energy sources and to the development of new environmental friendly technologies.
On December 1, 2008 Enel established Enel Green Power
Enel Green Power
Enel Green Power S.p.A. is an Italian multinational renewable energy corporation, headquartered in Rome. The company was formed as a subsidiary of the power generation firm Enel in December 2008, grouping its global renewable energy interests...
, the Group’s Company dedicated to the development and management of power generation from renewable energy, operating around 5,800 MW of installed capacity relying on hydro, wind, geothermal, solar, biomass and co-generation sources in Europe and the Americas.
Enel was the first utility in the world to replace its 32 million Italian customers’ traditional electromechanical meters with modern electronic devices that make it possible to take meter readings in real time and manage contractual relationships remotely. This innovation, which is key to the development of smart grids, has attracted interest from many utilities around the world. In Spain, Endesa is about to install 13 million electronic meters to its customers.
After completing the sale of non-core assets, Enel has focussed on consolidating the businesses taken over abroad in the electricity and gas sectors and further integrating its business.
International business
With power plants generating over 30,000 MW from renewable energy sources (water, geothermal, wind, solar and biomass) in EuropeEurope
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
and in the Americas, Enel is one of the world leaders in the power generation industry. Additionally, Enel is strongly committed to increasing the percentage of power from renewable sources and to research and development of new environmentally friendly technologies with many projects in Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
and abroad.
On 17 September 2008, Enel set up Enel Green Power, the Group company devoted to development and management of electricity generation from renewable sources everywhere in the world, a company that operates hydroelectric, wind power, geothermal, photovoltaic and biomass plants producing a total of 4,500 MW in Europe and in the Americas.
Enel has power plants in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
(Bulgaria
Bulgaria
Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, Romania
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
, Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
, Slovakia
Slovakia
The Slovak Republic is a landlocked state in Central Europe. It has a population of over five million and an area of about . Slovakia is bordered by the Czech Republic and Austria to the west, Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east and Hungary to the south...
and Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
), in North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
(Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
and the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
) and in Latin America
Latin America
Latin America is a region of the Americas where Romance languages – particularly Spanish and Portuguese, and variably French – are primarily spoken. Latin America has an area of approximately 21,069,500 km² , almost 3.9% of the Earth's surface or 14.1% of its land surface area...
(Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
, Chile
Chile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
, Costa Rica
Costa Rica
Costa Rica , officially the Republic of Costa Rica is a multilingual, multiethnic and multicultural country in Central America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, Panama to the southeast, the Pacific Ocean to the west and the Caribbean Sea to the east....
, El Salvador
El Salvador
El Salvador or simply Salvador is the smallest and the most densely populated country in Central America. The country's capital city and largest city is San Salvador; Santa Ana and San Miguel are also important cultural and commercial centers in the country and in all of Central America...
, Guatemala
Guatemala
Guatemala is a country in Central America bordered by Mexico to the north and west, the Pacific Ocean to the southwest, Belize to the northeast, the Caribbean to the east, and Honduras and El Salvador to the southeast...
, Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
and Panama
Panama
Panama , officially the Republic of Panama , is the southernmost country of Central America. Situated on the isthmus connecting North and South America, it is bordered by Costa Rica to the northwest, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean Sea to the north and the Pacific Ocean to the south. The...
). With Endesa
Endesa
Endesa is the acronym of Empresa Nacional de Electricidad S.A.. Two electric utility companies in the world use this name:*Endesa *Endesa , a subsidiary of the former's Latin American investment arm Enersis...
, Enel’s presence is extended to Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
, Colombia
Colombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
, Morocco
Morocco
Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...
, Peru
Peru
Peru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....
and Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
.
Spain
In SpainSpain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
, Enel owns 92.06% of the share capital of Endesa
Endesa
Endesa is the acronym of Empresa Nacional de Electricidad S.A.. Two electric utility companies in the world use this name:*Endesa *Endesa , a subsidiary of the former's Latin American investment arm Enersis...
, the leading power company of the country and first private power company in Latin America
Latin America
Latin America is a region of the Americas where Romance languages – particularly Spanish and Portuguese, and variably French – are primarily spoken. Latin America has an area of approximately 21,069,500 km² , almost 3.9% of the Earth's surface or 14.1% of its land surface area...
. Furthermore, Enel Green Power runs operations in the renewables field in Spain and Portugal.
North America
In North AmericaNorth America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
, Enel has plants generating 788 MW (water, geothermal, wind and biomass) and has recently signed an agreement with TradeWind Energy in the United States to develop over 1000 MW of new generation wind power plants. In March 2007, operating through its subsidiary Enel North America, Enel announced the takeover of AMP Resources. The takeover comprises, in the geothermal development area, four projects at an advanced stage and one that is now operational which will add around 150 MW of power to Enel operations in America, as well as providing access to a range of future opportunities. On 2 October 2008, Enel inaugurated the 250 MW Smoky Hills Wind Farm
Smoky Hills Wind Farm
The Smoky Hills Wind Farm is a 100.8 megawatt wind farm in Lincoln and Ellsworth Counties, 140 miles west of Topeka in Kansas, north of Ellsworth. The farm is operated by Enel Green Power. Highway K-14 and Interstate 70 pass through parts of the wind farm, with clear views of many of the wind...
in Kansas, the largest built by the group in the world and the largest ever built in Kansas. On 17 April 2009 two innovative geothermal plants were inaugurated by Enel Green Power in Churchill County in Nevada. Stillwater and Salt Wells, as the new plants are called, have a total gross installed capacity of 65 MW.
Latin America
In Latin AmericaLatin America
Latin America is a region of the Americas where Romance languages – particularly Spanish and Portuguese, and variably French – are primarily spoken. Latin America has an area of approximately 21,069,500 km² , almost 3.9% of the Earth's surface or 14.1% of its land surface area...
, Enel owns 668 MW of wind and hydroelectric plants. Through Endesa
Endesa
Endesa is the acronym of Empresa Nacional de Electricidad S.A.. Two electric utility companies in the world use this name:*Endesa *Endesa , a subsidiary of the former's Latin American investment arm Enersis...
, the Enel Group is among the leading players in Latin America
Latin America
Latin America is a region of the Americas where Romance languages – particularly Spanish and Portuguese, and variably French – are primarily spoken. Latin America has an area of approximately 21,069,500 km² , almost 3.9% of the Earth's surface or 14.1% of its land surface area...
around 16 GW installed capacity from thermoelectric, large hydro and renewables, of which 4.4 GW in Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
, 1 GW in Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
, 5.6 GW in Chile
Chile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
, 2.9 GW in Colombia
Colombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
and 1.8 GW in Peru
Peru
Peru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....
.
France
In FranceFrance
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, Enel is present today in the French nuclear sector via a 12.5% stake in the new generation Evolutionary Pressurized Reactor (EPR), whose first plant (1,600 MW) is currently being constructed at Flamanville, in Normandy. In the same country, Enel is also present in the renewables sector through Enel Green Power with 68 MW of operational wind turbines and a pipeline of around 500 MW.
In the power trading sector, Enel owns 5% of the French power stock exchange Powernext. Over more, the company supplied 3.3 TWh to major French consumers in 2009.
Bulgaria
In March 2003, Enel took over control of Maritza East III, a 602 MW plant fuelled by lignite and one of the major power plants in BulgariaBulgaria
Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...
.
Slovakia
In SlovakiaSlovakia
The Slovak Republic is a landlocked state in Central Europe. It has a population of over five million and an area of about . Slovakia is bordered by the Czech Republic and Austria to the west, Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east and Hungary to the south...
, Enel owns 66% of Slovenské elektrárne (SE), the largest electricity generator in the country, and the second-largest in Central and Eastern Europe, with a generation capacity of 5,345 MW, a mix of nuclear, thermal and hydro assets.
Romania
In RomaniaRomania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
, Enel sells electricity through Enel Energie and Enel Energie Muntenia. It distributes electricity through Enel Distributie Banat, Enel Distributie Dobrogea and Enel Distributie Muntenia. Overall, the group has 2.6 million customers in the country.
Russia
In RussiaRussia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
, Enel is a vertically integrated operator from upstream to generation and sale of electricity. In the upstream sector, through SeverEnergia (a consortium 19.6% Enel, 51% Gazprom, 29.4% Eni) Enel operates a group of promising natural gas fields. Currently, Enel owns 56.39% of Enel OGK-5, formerly known as JCS Fifth Generation Company of the Wholesale Electricity Market (“OGK-5”). Enel OGK-5 has four thermoelectric power plants for about 8,200 MW. The plants are positioned in the highest growth rate areas of the country. In the power sale sector, Enel owns 49.5% of RusEnergoSbyt, the most important Russian trader, providing electricity to major industrial customers.
Main shareholders
The list of shareholders at January 11, 2010 according to data from Consob (Italian Securities and Investments Board) on major shareholders:- Ministry of the Economy and Finance – 17.4%
- Cassa Depositi e PrestitiCassa depositi e prestitiCassa Depositi e Prestiti is an Italian bank founded 1850 in Torino and constituted in its current form as joint-stock company on December 12, 2003...
– 13.9% - BlackRockBlackRockBlackRock, Inc. is an American multinational investment management corporation and the world's largest asset manager. BlackRock is headquartered in Manhattan, New York City, New York, United States and is the leading provider of investment, advisory, and risk management solutions...
– 3.016%
Board of directors
Board of Directors in office at October 2010.- Chairman: Paolo Andrea ColomboPaolo Andrea ColomboPaolo Andrea Colombo is an Italian business executive. In May of 2011, he was appointed president of Enel alongside CEO Fulvio Conti....
- Chief Executive Officer and General Manager: Fulvio ContiFulvio ContiFulvio Conti is an italian manager.He joined Enel in 1999 as Chief Financial Officer. As CEO he finalized the acquisition of the Slovak utility, Slovenkse Elektrarne and he successfully achieved the takeover of Endesa, the leading power company in Spain and Latin America as well as the takeover of...
- Director: Alessandro Banchi
- Director: Lorenzo Codogno
- Director: Mauro Miccio
- Director: Fernando Napolitano
- Director: Pedro Solbes Mìra
- Director: Angelo Taraborrelli
- Director: Gianfranco Tosi
Enel Group companies
The companies currently controlled by the group are listed below in alphabetical order:- DEVAL
- Enel Distribuzione S.p.A.
- Enel Energia S.p.A.
- Enel FACTOR
- Enel Green PowerEnel Green PowerEnel Green Power S.p.A. is an Italian multinational renewable energy corporation, headquartered in Rome. The company was formed as a subsidiary of the power generation firm Enel in December 2008, grouping its global renewable energy interests...
S.p.A. - Enel Produzione SPA
- Enel Servizi
- Enel Servizio Elettrico S.p.A.
- Enel SO.LE
- Enel.si
- Enel Trade S.p.a.
- Punt.Enel
Current situation
Between 2002 and 2004, the conclusion of the reorganisation process provided for in the Bersani Decree, sales of the company’s interests in water management and real estate assets, permitted Enel to implement a new strategy focussing on its core business, that is energy.Enel is committed to a process of diversification of energy sources to reduce dependency on oil and gas and, as a consequence, also reduce the price of energy.
On 30 July 2008, Enel inaugurated a new clean coal power plant at Civitavecchia, a project which began at the end of 2003. It involved conversion of an old power plant run on fuel oil. The new plant has a total capacity of 1,980 MW, comprises three units and is able to satisfy 50% of electricity demands for the Lazio Region. By using improved technology, the plant reduces total emissions by 88% and emissions by 18%. Enel has plans for a similar conversion of the plant at Porto Tolle (Rovigo), where the authorisation procedure is still under way.
With regard to gas, some years ago Enel concluded construction of 5 combined cycle power plants to replace traditional gas-fuelled plants, increasing efficiency and reducing emissions. With its subsidiary Nuove Energie, Enel is also working on a project to build a regassifier with a capacity of 8 billion cubic metres at Porto Empedocle (Agrigento, Sicily), for which the authorisation procedure is nearing conclusion. The plant will make it possible to import gas into Italy in liquid form, using special methane tanker ships, and then feed it into the distribution mains.
Attention to ethical aspects has also increased over recent years, recognised at world level with the inclusion of Enel in the most prestigious stock exchange indexes which take into account the commitment of companies to Corporate Social Responsibility.
After fulfilling the obligations under Italian law by completing the sale of Terna (the company that manages the national power grid), Enel has devoted itself to internationalisation of its business by finalising a number of very significant take-overs including Slovenské elektrárne (SE) the most important electricity company in Slovakia and the second most important in Central-Eastern Europe, a number of distribution companies in Romania, the Russian Ogk 5 generating company and the Spanish electricity company Endesa.
At the end of 2006, the Group presented a pro-environment plan, involving investments in renewable sources and for research and application of the best technologies for reduction of emissions. In this field, Enel is working on a number of avant-garde projects for capture and storage. Considered by the European Commission to be some of the most interesting in this field, these projects aim to generate electricity from fossil fuel with “zero emissions”: using capture and storage technologies, flue gases will in fact be captured in the chimney stacks and safely stored in deep aquifers or exhausted methane or oil fields.
At the end of 2008/beginning of 2009, Enel began selling off a number of assets to reduce its financial debts, which had increased over the previous months, due to the takeover of 92% of the capital of Endesa. The assets sold included Enel Linee Alta Tensione (high voltage power transmission grid), sold by Enel Distribuzione to Terna in December 2008, and 80% of Enel Rete Gas (31,000 km of gas distribution pipelines, 99.98% controlled by Enel Distribuzione which will in any case maintain a minority shareholding of around 20%), on 29 May 2009 to a consortium headed by F2I and AXA
AXA
AXA S.A. is a French global insurance group headquartered in the 8th arrondissement of Paris. AXA is a conglomerate of independently run businesses, operated according to the laws and regulations of many different countries. The AXA group of companies engage in life, health and other forms of...
, for the sum of 480 million euros. The contract will now have to be approved by the Autorità Garante della Concorrenza e del Mercato
Autorità Garante della Concorrenza e del Mercato
The Autorità Garante della Concorrenza e del Mercato , know also with the acronym AGCM, is an Italian quasi non-governmental organisation established on the basis of Law no...
(the Italian Competition Authority) and AEEG (the Italian Authority for Electricity and Gas).
Again to improve the financial stability of the Group, on 1 June 2009 Enel launched a capital increase of a total of around 8 billion euros.
Prices
Italian prices, in some cases, are more expensive than average European rates, partly because Italy produces 70% of its electricity from hydrocarbons, while in the rest of Europe the same percentage is produced from coal and nuclear fuel. The Authority for Electricity and Gas sets the prices every 3 months based on the fuel price trend. Additionally, national and local authority taxes account for a large part of electricity bills.Following full liberalisation of the electricity market for domestic customers too, which took place on 1 July 2007, Enel has launched a series of commercial offers addressed to families. The latest “Energia tutto compreso” (all-inclusive energy), offers customers a fixed price for their electricity, based on selection of the level of consumption that best suits their needs.
Enel Cuore
Enel CuoreEnel Cuore
Enel Cuore Onlus is the Italian non-profit organization created by Enel – the largest electricity company in Italy – created to coordinate and manage company funds for charity and solidarity. The associations funds come primarily from the “generosity” of Enel and other companies managed by Enel...
was founded in October
October
October is the tenth month of the year in the Julian and Gregorian Calendars and one of seven months with a length of 31 days. The eighth month in the old Roman calendar, October retained its name after January and February were inserted into the calendar that had originally been created by the...
2003 by the project, supported by Enel
Enel
Enel may refer to:*Enel SpA, an Italian electricity company*Enel , a fictional villain in the One Piece manga and anime series*Enel, meaning third in the fiction of J. R. R. Tolkien, cf. Awakening of the Elves...
and its subsidiaries, in order to create a non-profit organization separate from the company itself and able to carry out activities in support of communities, families and individuals while maintaining the ideals of cooperation
Cooperation
Cooperation or co-operation is the process of working or acting together. In its simplest form it involves things working in harmony, side by side, while in its more complicated forms, it can involve something as complex as the inner workings of a human being or even the social patterns of a...
.
Analysis of Enel’s 2006 financial statement
Proceeds totalled 38,513 million euros (33,787 million in 2005, + 14.0%). EBITDA were 8,019 million euros (7,745 million in 2005, +3.5%); net of an allocation of around 400 million euros for an operating excellence plan, EBITDA 2006 increased by 8.7% over 2005. EBIT were 5,819 million euros (5,538 million in 2005, +5.1%). The Group’s net profits were 3,036 million euros (3,895 million in 2005, - 22.1%); net of the contribution by Wind and Terna, the Group’s net profits in 2006 increased by 1.4% over 2005. Net financial borrowing totalled 11,690 million euros (12,312 million at 31 December 2005, -5.1%). The total dividend offered for the whole 2006 financial year was 0.49 euros per share (of which 0.2 euros per share was paid in advance in November 2006).Analysis of Enel’s 2007 financial statement
Proceeds totalled 43,673 million euros (+13.4%), EBITDAEBITDA
EBITDA is an acronym for earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization. It is a non-GAAP metric that is measured exactly as stated. All interest, tax, depreciation and amortization entries in the income statement are reversed out from the bottom-line net income...
were 10,023 million (+25.0%), EBIT
EBIT
EBIT may refer to:*EBIT, or Earnings before interest and taxes, in finance*EBIT, or Electron beam ion trap, in physics*An ebit, a two-party quantum state with quantum entanglement and the fundamental unit of bitpartite entanglement...
were 6,990 million (+20.1%), the Group’s net profits were 3,977 million (+31.0%), net financial borrowing increased to 55,791 million due to the Endesa
Endesa
Endesa is the acronym of Empresa Nacional de Electricidad S.A.. Two electric utility companies in the world use this name:*Endesa *Endesa , a subsidiary of the former's Latin American investment arm Enersis...
take-over, total net assets were 23,789 million, the Debt-Equity ratio was 2.35. The dividend offered for the whole 2007 financial year was 0.49 euros per share (of which 0.2 euros per share was paid in advance in November 2007).
Analysis of Enel’s 2008 financial statement
Proceeds rose to 61,184 million euros (+40.0%), EBITDAEBITDA
EBITDA is an acronym for earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization. It is a non-GAAP metric that is measured exactly as stated. All interest, tax, depreciation and amortization entries in the income statement are reversed out from the bottom-line net income...
were 14,318 million euros (+45.5%), EBIT
EBIT
EBIT may refer to:*EBIT, or Earnings before interest and taxes, in finance*EBIT, or Electron beam ion trap, in physics*An ebit, a two-party quantum state with quantum entanglement and the fundamental unit of bitpartite entanglement...
were 9 million euros (+40.7%), the Group’s net profits increased to 5,293 million euros (+35.2%) net financial borrowing dropped to 49,967 million euros (-10.4%). The dividend offered for the whole 2008 financial year was 0.49 euros per share (of which 0.2 euros per share was paid in advance in November 2008).