Visit of the Larderello geothermal field

Geothermal power stations use the natural heat of the earth to produce steam that is used to generate electricity. The development of this source is to a large extent the result of a major commitment by Enel, since it was established in 1960s.

Italy is the European leader in this field, with a total installed capacity of 790 MWe, which is over 95% of all installed capacity in the EU-27.

Geothermal generation, concentrated in Italy in the region of Tuscany, provides 5 billion kWh per year: equivalent to the requirement of 2 million Italian households, saving 1.1 tonnes of oil equivalent and avoiding 3.8 million tonnes of CO2 emissions.  There are currently 32 operating geothermal plants, with a total installed capacity of 790 MW.

The EEF delegation had a view of all the installations and their geysers from the helicopter. Then it visited the Museum of Geothermal Energy.  Finally, the delegation went to the European University Institute of Florence, created in 1972 by the Member States of the founding European Communities.