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OUR HISTORY

Edison is the oldest Italian Company in the energy sector and one of the oldest in the world. From the construction of the first European thermoelectric power plant for the commercial production of energy (1883), to putting into service the first environmentally friendly oleic power plants (2002), the history of Edison is representative of Italy's industrial history.

The origins

1881 Giuseppe Colombo, with the help of a few banks, sets up a committee in Milan for promoting the use of electric energy in Italy.

1882 The committee is called the 'Committee for the Use of Electricity in Italy using the Edison System' and it buys the old theatre of Santa Radegonda where the 'Jumbo' generators will be installed.

1883 On 8 March, in Milan, Europe's first electric power plant for the continuous distribution of energy starts working in the old theatre of Santa Radegonda. During the night of Saint Stephen, the generators of Santa Radegonda light up the 2880 incandescent lamps of the Teatro alla Scala for the premier of Ponchielli's Gioconda; this first important public illumination in Italy proves to be a great success.

1884 On 6 January, in Milan, with a capital of 3 million lire, the 'Società Generale Italiana di Elettricità Sistema Edison' (General "Edison System" Italian Electric Company) is founded.

1885 The Municipality of Milan grants permission to begin experiments with public street lighting.

1887 An agreement is made with the Commune of Milan for a service of public lighting. T. A. Edison's consumption counter is used to introduce new and more affordable prices, the intention being to provide lighting in private homes as well.

1893 On 2 November, Edison begins experiments for the first electric tram in Milan; it is about three kilometres long and goes from Piazza del Duomo to Corso Sempione.

1895 The company is renamed "Società Generale Italiana Edison di Elettricità" (Edison General Italian Electric Company). The Commune of Milan decides to go ahead with the project for providing an electric tram service and employs Edison for the project. Work begins on the creation of the Paderno plant.

Development

1900 At the turn of the century, Edison is still primarily a local company. Outside of Milan, it controls installations in Cuneo, Venice (through an affiliate), and the distributions of electricity to Monza via the affiliated company Società Monzese di Elettricità (Monza Electric Company). However, with an ever more industrialised northern Italy, demand for electricity increases exponentially. During the early 1900s both Edison's hydroelectric production and distribution network expand greatly, thus transforming the company into a Group of companies active even outside of Milan.

1923 Edison buys the building of Foro Buonaparte 31 in Milan and moves its headquarters there. The building, which was built in 1892 by Milan architect Enrico Combi in the stable area of the Litta Palace, had previously been the headquarters of the Mediterranean Railway Company.

1931 On 10 January, Edison begins a new business: a service for the production and distribution of gas in Milan. A separate company, the Società Anonima Servizi Pubblici e Partecipazioni (SASPEP) (Company for Public Services and Affiliations) which became a part of Edison in 1934, initially managed the service.

1934 In its fiftieth year, the company is now officially called Società Edison (the Edison Company). By now the group has 44 electric power plants throughout northern Italy and the Apennines. The production of Gas for the city of Milan is concentrated in the Bovisa works.

1953 The 8830 customer service telephone number is set up for both the electric and gas divisions.

1962 On 12 December the Gazzetta Ufficiale (Official Gazette) publishes a law that establishes ENEL as the sole or main provider of production, transport, distribution and sale of electric energy and all companies providing such services are to become incorporated into ENEL within a year. On the eve of nationalisation, the production of the Edison group was 12.4 thousand million kilowatt hours, of which about 9 thousand million were produced hydroelectrically.

1963 In light of this nationalisation, the Group ceases to work in the electric division. At this point Edison's primary industrial presence, other than the company for the production and distribution of gas in Milan, which had already begun a far-reaching diversification programme, lies in the chemical, mineral, electromechanical, textile, and glass sectors.

1966 The assembly of 26 March decides to merge Edison with Montecatini, the largest Italian chemicals group. The merger takes place on 7 July. The company's name is changed to 'Montecatini Edison S.p.A.'

1969 The company abbreviates its name to Montedison.

Renovated Edison

1972 The Montedison group is completely reorganised; key business activities are organised into ten divisions. The self-generating electrical power plants, the hydrocarbon business and the Gas Company in Milan become part of the Parent Company's Services Division.

1979 SELM (Servizi Elettrici Montedison) (Montedison Electric Services), entirely owned by Montedison, is established in January. On 10 March, the company complex of 21 hydroelectric self-generating power plants and the two thermoelectric power plants at Porto Marghera are transferred to SELM. The Montedison Services Division continues to manage the Gas Company in Milan and to conduct research regarding the use of hydrocarbons.

1981 In July, Montedison sells the Gas Company to the City of Milan who possessed a right to re-obtain the concession.

1982 Montedison decides to sell SELM shares to the public. The placement takes place in July.

1987 The oilrig for the extraction of crude oil from Vega begins operations. This is the most important Italian oil reservoir. The MonteShell joint venture between SELM and Shell buys Total's Italian business activities consisting of a national distribution network and other activities in the sectors of LPG, lubricants and bitumen.

1990 In accordance with the national Energy Project, the Company begins a long-term project for the construction of new thermoelectric power plants with a combined cogenerated cycle in the Montedison group's industrial locations. This will bring Edison's installed thermoelectric capacity to 2400 MW in five years, calling for investments of approximately 2000 billion lire.

1991 SELM's assembly of 18 June decides to change the name of the company to Edison S.p.A. Laws nos. 9 and 10 of 9 January 1991 entitled 'Norms for the Fulfilment of the National Energy Project', designed to promote production from renewable or assimilated sources, help re-launch the role of this type of production.

1992 Edison Gas consolidates its leadership among private Italian operators by buying the interests held by Deutsche Shell in Italy, including total reserves of over 20 thousand million cubic metres of natural gas.

1995 In the month of January, Edison sells its 50% share of MonteShell (fuel distribution). In December, Edison and Électricité de France finalise the acquisition for the control of Ise, the second largest private Italian producer of electric energy, totalling 600 MW of installed power in a new 500 MW power plant under construction.

1996 In December, Taranto's 500 MW CET 3 of the controlled company Ise is completed. It is the world's first power station to use three gases resulting from iron and steel salvage in a combined cogenerated cycle.

1997 In April, Edison's offices return to the company's former premises in the building of Foro Buonaparte 31 in Milan. At the end of the year, the Bussi power plant is the first Italian production plant in the electricity sector to receive the UNI EN ISO 14001 environmental certification.

1998 Edison makes the first important discoveries of natural gas in Egypt, in the 'West Delta Deep Marine' reservoir, situated on the Nile Delta. The Nile Valley Gas Company is established in collaboration with British Gas and local partners. The company's goal is to develop the Egyptian gas market via the construction, in several phases, of a methane pipeline running along the Nile, from Cairo to Aswan. When it buys SAG Adriatica Gas of Padua (subsequently renamed Edison D.G - Gas Distribution) Edison returns to the sector of end user gas distribution.