Geothermal heating network at Radicondoli, Italy to be expanded

View at Randicondoli, Tuscany, Italy (source: flickr/ Benjamin Rabe, creative commons)

The municipal administration of Radicondoli in Tuscany, Italy is set to extend geothermal district heating to the entire municipality. This makes Radicondoli a candidate as the first 100% carbon-free municipality in Tuscany.

The first lot of district heating in Radicondoli was completed two years ago and covers 140 users with an investment of 7 million. By the end of October 2022, the network will be expanded to include up top 400 users with an estimated cost of 4 million. We had first reported on the handover of the geothermal district heating plant to Radicondoli back in 2019.

Radicondoli has five geothermal plants on its periphery, making it the second largest producer of geothermal energy in Italy. Residual heat from the plants is used by the municipalities for district heating systems. Water at temperatures between 90 to 120 degrees Celsius is supplied to the houses and transformed by electric control units.

Through this system, the residents of Radicondoli have been able to transition away from LPG and methane heating and pay only EUR 0.050 per kWh. Through municipal tenders, residents also benefit from reduced costs for public transportation, start-up of new production activities, and purchase of their first homes.

Funding for the expansion of the district heating network came from the accumulation of royalties paid by Enel to the municipality.

Source: La Repubblica