The reference fair for energy transition and efficiency, “Key-The Energy Transition Expo 2025,” opened its doors on Wednesday at the Rimini Exhibition Center in Italy, with the participation of more than a thousand exhibitors and international delegations representing North Africa, the Middle East, the Balkans, and Eastern Europe.
Initiated by Italian Exhibition Group (IEG), this event will host around fifty countries until Friday, with a 20% increase in the number of exhibitors compared to the previous edition, of which more than 30% are international professionals, showcasing the ambition to make energy transition a driver of growth.
Speaking at the opening ceremony, the president of IEG, Maurizio Ermeti, announced that renewable energies accounted for 41.2% of Italy’s national needs in 2024 and are on track to exceed the 2030 target of the National Integrated Energy and Climate Plan (PNIEC), which sets a threshold of 60%.
“By 2030, renewable energies and non-fossil sources will be set to produce more than half of the world’s electricity,” he said, estimating that this fair highlights a strategic sector with significant repercussions on the economy and competitiveness by addressing the theme of transition and energy efficiency in an integrated manner, while strongly emphasizing internationalization, one of IEG’s main objectives. “As we inaugurate Key-The Energy Transition Expo here in Rimini, a major edition of Ecomondo Mexico in Guadalajara is being inaugurated,” he added.
For his part, the Italian Minister of Environment and Energy Security, Gilberto Pichetto Fratin, noted that the PNIEC allows Italy to aspire to “a clear energy direction towards renewables,” emphasizing that institutions have the primary mission of supporting the national productive fabric “engaged in this both global and territorial challenge.”
On her part, the president of the Emilia-Romagna region, Michele De Pascale, emphasized the importance of ecological transition, which is “one of the great challenges of our time.”
“This is why Emilia-Romagna intends to pave the way for carbon neutrality before 2050, through the implementation of a medium and long-term strategy, investing in renewable energies, energy efficiency, and resilient infrastructures,” she stated, estimating that the energy transition must be compatible with employment and the development of the Italian production system.
For his part, the director of the Energy Services (GSE), Paolo Arrigoni, emphasized that this international event serves to strengthen dialogue between institutions, businesses, and sector players, adding that the GSE is ready to provide tools, skills, and a vision to make energy transition not only a goal but an opportunity for the economic growth of all.
In this context, he particularly highlighted the technical and operational support for companies, SMEs, and grandes écoles, among others, as well as digital innovation, through the implementation of advanced tools such as the interactive map of primary CER posts, the National Unique Platform (PUN), and the monitoring platform of the PNIEC that centralizes and provides essential data for the planning and implementation of energy policies in the Peninsula.
The program of this international event includes meetings focusing on the importance of green hydrogen, the decarbonization of electricity in Italy, as well as the acceleration of sustainable electrification as a key to the economic and social development of the African continent.