Geothermal – strategic asset to advance path of energy transition
Geothermal plant at Castelnuovo di Val di Cecina, Tuscany/Italy ( Gabriele Delhey, commons/ wikimedia)
Alexander Richter
17 Dec 2021
During a recent workshop in Tuscany, Italy - geothermal was described as a strategic asset with great potential for the region of Tuscany and a fundamental resource around which Tuscany's energy transition will revolve.
Geothermal energy was discussed extensively in Larderello/ Italy, during the workshop “Geothermal energy and CO2 / CH4 emissions: Tuscany case study”, which was held 13 December, at the Florentia Theater in Larderello, in the Municipality of Pomarance ( PI). The conference was hosted by Enel Green Power with the University of Pisa, the CNR of Pisa, the Milan Polytechnic, the La Sapienza University of Rome and Rina Consulting. The councilor for the environment Monia Monni also took part in the meeting.
“Geothermal energy – said Monni – is a strategic asset for Tuscany, around which the energy transition will have to revolve, and thanks to which we will be able to achieve the decarbonization objectives set by the 2030 Agenda”. According to data provided by Enel Green Power, geothermal energy produces 70% of electricity from renewable sources in Tuscany. Enel Green Power manages the oldest and most innovative geothermal complex in the world: 34 geothermal power plants, for a total of 37 production groups, located between the provinces of Pisa, Siena and Grosseto. The almost 6 billion kWh produced annually in Tuscany, in addition to meeting more than 30% of the regional electricity needs, provide heat that is useful for heating over 10 thousand users, 30 hectares of greenhouses and companies in the agri-food and craft industries.
“To underline – added Monni – the potential of this resource for the territories in which it is present. Areas often characterized by depopulation, scarcity of job opportunities and not easily reachable. Investing in geothermal energy means investing in their resilience and enhancement, in the development of infrastructures, in the economy. In short, make them more attractive and palatable. Thanks also goes to the councilor Marras, for having contributed to creating a discussion table between the Region, Municipalities, companies and workers aimed at building a participatory path between the subjects involved in this sector “.
The councilor then briefly focused on the actions taken in recent years to pursue greater sustainability of the geothermal system, to mitigate the pressures on air and water, through highly efficient systems of control and abatement of pollutants and greater reliability of geothermal power plants. in terms of components and maintenance and research and innovation of the production cycle: General Agreement of 2009, regional laws 7 of 2019 and 44 of 2015, constant monitoring carried out by Arpat, the one carried out by the Region on meteo-hydrological data and the project epidemiological research on the state of health of the population residing in the Tuscan geothermal areas by Ars.
“The ecological and energy transition in particular that we will implement represents an unprecedented opportunity, not only in economic terms, but in cultural terms – concluded Councilor Monni. We have, for the first time in many years, the opportunity to rethink society, the economy, the way of producing and living. The environmental issue will have to be transversal, it will have to invest every area of ??our society and, only if we are able to bring about this profound change, will we really be able to leave a better planet to our daughters and our sons ”.
Source: Toscana Notizie
