In preliminary results, Italy's biggest utility said its ordinary earnings before interests, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) were 16.2 billion euros (14.2 billion pounds), in line with its own targets.

Enel, which controls Spanish utility Endesa, said its net debt at the end of the year was 41.1 billion euros, up 9.9 percent on the year.

(Reporting by Stephen Jewkes; editing by Agnieszka Flak)