Geothermal could be important economic driver for the South of Italy
Landscape at Crotone, Calabria, Italy (source: flickr/ Revolweb, creative commons)
Alexander Richter
7 Nov 2013
In order to help the economy get on its feet again, the South of Italy sees geothermal as one option to utilize a local resource and attract industries utilizing this renewable form of energy.
With high unemployment in the South of Italy, the Association for Industrial Development in the South draws a grim picture particularly on the fear on further emigration to the North of Italy.
To overcome the crisis, renewable energy is named as one possible solution that could help revive the economy in the South of Italy.
Geothermal Energy is thereby named as a potential play of great importance, for the production of heat but also for providing power to an industrial sector “based on new technologies
Already renewables play an important part, mostly through solar, wind and biomass, but three is a “huge untaped potential in geothermal energy.”
To tap these potential resources could offer important opportunities in particular in the production of heat.
In order to kickstart geothermal development, adequate public support is necessary to initiate the huge investments required. It therefore should be focused on four areas: simplification of rules and regulatory approvals for the exploitation of geothermal resources, construction of pilot plants with innovative solutions, even through Community co-financing; custody monitoring services to third parties with respect to the companies involved in the production, co-financing of major projects to reduce the risk of exploration mining “.
Source: Greenreport.it
