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12.11.2010 09:12

Start-up of new Enel Green Power geothermal power plant

With Radicondoli 2, in the province of Siena, the Tuscan geothermal centre of Enel's renewables generation company, one of the largest in the world, continues its growth in harmony with the environment.

AUTHOR: publics.bg

© Enel Green Power

This week saw the start-up of the new Radicondoli 2 geothermal power plant in the town of the same name in the province of Siena. With its 20 MW of capacity, the new unit adds to the 40 MW produced by the existing power plant, giving the facility a total of 60 MW of installed capacity. Once operating at full output, the plant will be able to produce more than 140 million kilowatt hours of electricity, equivalent to the consumption of 55,000 households, and avoid the emission of 200,000 tonnes of CO2, in addition to saving 55,000 TOE (tonnes of oil equivalent) of fossil fuels per year.

The project, approved in July last year and completed in just over a year, is a demonstration of the unparalleled know-how of Enel Green Power in the geothermal field, gained in over one hundred years of development and operation of this renewable energy resource. The plant, which was implemented by Enel Green Power's in-house engineering units, boasts innovative features that place the facility at the cutting edge of technological development in this category of power plant. The plant is also equipped with an innovative remote monitoring and diagnostics system that makes it possible to operate the unit remotely and prevent malfunctions from happening, all while meeting the highest environmental and landscape impact standards.

The project was developed in collaboration with the local authorities, who participated actively in the selection of the route for the steam pipeline, with a view to complying and harmonising with environmental and landscape restrictions. The project also includes the drilling of three new wells and the deepening of an existing well, work that is still under way.

“This is a major step forward for the further growth of Italian geothermal capacity,” stated Francesco Starace, CEO of Enel Green Power. “As well as a confirmation of Italy’s technological leadership in this particular field of renewable energy”.