GeothermiX showcases geothermal research work by young scientists

Valle Secolo geothermal power plant, Tuscany, Italy (source:T. AGEMAR, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

The GeothermiX international conference was recently held at the University of Pisa, right at the heart of the Italian geothermal sector in Tuscany. Drawing participants and doctoral students from Italy and other countries, the event was a showcase of the pioneering work being done by young scientists in the geothermal field.

GeothermiX was held at the Earth Sciences department of the University of Pisa, and was organized by PhD students in collaboration with the Italian Geothermal Union (UGI), the Italian Geochemical Society, the National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (INGV), and the Regional Agency for Environmental Protection of Tuscany (ARPAT).

More than 100 participants signed up for three days of seminars and in-depth studies. As part of the conference, a group of participants went on a field trip to the 120-MW Valle Secolo power plant in Larderello, the birthplace of the modern geothermal power sector.

Another significant moment of the conference was the presentation of a drilling core by Luca Rossini, Geothermal Director at Enel Green Power, collected from the hottest point measured in the European continental crust. The core sample was presented to Prof. Luca Pandolfi and will be exhibited at the Earth Sciences Department.

All 34 geothermal power plants in Italy are located in the Tuscany region and are managed by Enel Green Power. Although this accounts for only about 2% of the total power generation in Italy, it provides more than 30% of the electricity needs of the Tuscan region. Geothermal also supplies district heating for over 13,000 users and almost 30 hectares of greenhouses.

Geothermal development in Tuscany was stalled for a period because of the uncertainty on the fate of expiring concessions, but a positive development had been reported recently with a decree that may offer up to 20 years of extension for concession holders pending the presentation of an investment plan.

Source: Greenreport.it and Energia Italia