New life for the former thermoelectric plant of Augusta, in the Italian province of Syracuse in Sicily.
Enel, the National Research Council and the Science and Technology Park of Sicily have in fact inaugurated an innovative Research Center in Italy within the area, where a new 1,5 MW photovoltaic plant is also being built.
The new research center is available to researchers from the CNR's “Nicola Giordano” Institute of Advanced Energy Technologies and Science Park.
It will be dedicated in particular to sustainable reclamation and actions to mitigate the environmental impacts of plants and infrastructures for the generation of energy connected to them.
The developed technologies will also be applied in places of interest to Enel.

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At the center the preservation of biodiversity and ecosystem services and agri-voltaic applications

Among others, the envisaged activities will consist of experiments on actions to mitigate environmental impacts (aimed at enhancing and preserving biodiversity and ecosystem services) and integration studies of solutions and technologies to be used in combination with energy production activities (such as for example occurs in agri-voltaic applications).
The goal is to create a center of excellence thanks to the availability of structures and technologies and the possibility of carrying out studies by replicating specific site conditions in the laboratory; in this way the parties will be able to provide new solutions to support the ongoing transition in the energy sector at an international level, an interdisciplinary research area with high scientific, social and economic potential.

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1.500 tons of CO2 and the use of 800.000 cubic meters of gas will be avoided every year

The new photovoltaic system built by Enel Green Power uses latest generation photovoltaic modules produced in the Catania 3Sun factory.
Thanks to a power of approximately 1,5 MW, the plant will make it possible to avoid the equivalent of 1.500 tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) each year and the use of 800.000 cubic meters of gas, replacing them with renewable energy produced locally.
The photovoltaic project has seen the active involvement of the citizens of Augusta and the local communities, who have joined the crowdfunding initiative "Renewable choice", which allows those who have invested in fundraising to obtain a financial return, as well as the reimbursement of investment itself.

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Conservation of historical-industrial heritage and maintenance of site ownership

The reconversion process is carried out by safeguarding the buildings and the historical-industrial heritage represented by the site: designed by the architect and urban planner Giuseppe Samonà, the plant won the "ARCHINSI 61" award in 1961 and is still the subject of university studies and research .
The redevelopment of the Augusta site is part of Enel's broader strategy to give new life to the industrial sites of thermoelectric plants in line with the energy transition process towards a more sustainable model.
These are sites that in many cases have contributed to the industrial and social development of the country and are strongly linked to the territories that host them.
The first assessment is whether the plants can have new development potential in the energy sector: in this case Enel remains the owner of the site and manages the transformation process.
Where the energy redevelopment potential is not present or is only partially present, integration and redevelopment with new business projects in areas other than energy production is favored with complementary sustainable investments that can be carried out on part or on the entire area of ​​the plants and that meet the needs of the communities in which the facilities are located.
In any case, all projects must be based on criteria of innovation and sustainable development, as well as create shared value for the community and the surrounding area.

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Luca Solfaroli: "An opportunity to give new life to our plants that are no longer in operation"

"The energy transition towards a more sustainable energy model represents an opportunity to give new life to our plants that are no longer in operation", comments Luca Solfaroli Camillocci, Enel's Head of Enel Green Power and Thermal Generation Italy.
“The site of a thermoelectric plant, which has guaranteed energy and development to the area for years, now hosts a research center and a production plant from renewable sources: a new enhancement from a circular economy perspective that represents a concrete example of how we want to continue to generate value with the local area with our activities, thanks to a commitment projected towards the future of energy”.

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Emilio Campana: "High innovation in the circular economy and sustainability"

"The collaboration between Enel and CNR in the context of the new laboratory built in Augusta fits perfectly into the general path of energy and ecological transition that is affecting our country", comments Emilio Fortunato Campana, director of DIITET, Department of Engineering, ICT, and Technologies for Energy and Transport of the CNR.
“The Augusta project represents an excellent opportunity for DIITET to implement together with Enel virtuous research paths characterized by highly innovative elements in the circular economy and sustainability. DIITET, through the broad interdisciplinary skills of which it is characterized, can develop advanced solutions and technologies in the various energy sectors in symbiosis with the strategies developed by Enel”.

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Rosario Minasola: "Decisive industrial research and experimental development projects in the area"

“It is a pleasure for us to participate in the inauguration of this commendable initiative which will see the Science and Technology Park of Sicily collaborate with the CNR and Enel in the activities of the Augusta laboratory, in order to develop industrial research and experimental development projects on the territory, to contribute to the transition towards more sustainable energy sources and which reduce dependence on fossil fuels", declared the new President of the Science and Technology Park of Sicily, Rosario Minasola.

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Giuseppe Di Mare: “When the Tifeo plant in Augusta was active at the end of the 50s”

“The Tifeo plant in Augusta was built at the end of the 50s. Its construction made it possible to solve the energy needs of the various industries that settled in this area after the war. With the nationalization of the 60s it was absorbed by Enel and, for about half a century, continued to supply its energy to the regional electricity system", recalls the Mayor, Giuseppe Di Mare.
“With great pride for the area, today the Augusta power plant, with the construction of the new photovoltaic plant and the CNR research laboratories, is once again a protagonist in the energy transition process underway in the country, as it has been over the years 50, in the industrialization process”.

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