Carpi’s former power station to become an innovative logistics hub

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Futur-e is giving a new lease of life to the former Fossoli gas turbine power station at Carpi outside Modena. “Sustainable building site” work has already begun to turn the site into an innovative logistics hub that will become an Enel Group platform for the north of Italy.  

The project was presented on 13 April at the town hall by Carpi’s Mayor Alberto Bellelli and Futur-e Head Marco Fragale, who outlined the programme undertaken by the company to redevelop the sites of thermal power stations that have either been decommissioned or are about to be withdrawn from national grid service.   

The future of the former Fossoli station at Carpi, the decommissioning of which was authorised in 2013, will thus take a very different direction from that of energy production. The project spans two phases: demolition and dismantling of existing structures no longer required for the site’s new function, which began in September 2017, will continue until May 2018 when stage two, the building of the logistical hub, commences with a completion date of under a year.  

Thanks to their strategic position and existing structures, buildings, spaces and connections, the Futur-e sites are ideal candidates as venues for new projects. From a circular economy perspective, the area will be transformed to enhance its reuse potential to the utmost. Furthermore, sustainable solutions will be adopted during both the current phases and the design and creation of the logistics hub. Selective demolition will allow the salvage of around 3,500 tonnes of metal materials and the immediate on-site reuse of around 3,000 cubic metres of crushed concrete. This minimises waste across the board, turning materials that would normally be viewed as scrap or for dumping into new resources. The logistics hub project will also feature a host of sustainable solutions, such as LED lighting, plant-based waste water treatment systems and rainwater harvesting for irrigation of green areas and fire protection.

“We are happy with the Enel Group’s decision to give the former gas turbine station a new future by turning it into a logistics hub with a strong focus on environmental sustainability in the project. For many years now, the north of the city has played host to various facilities and sites that make it a genuine recycling and recovery hub,” confirmed Carpi Mayor Alberto Bellelli. “These not only serve Carpi but also mark out our area in a strategic way in terms of the circular economy. We see the Enel project as very positive because a part of our town will now be recovered rather than left derelict. That is thanks in part to the invaluable and positive partnership between our Municipality and Enel.”

“The solution selected to bring new life to the former Fossoli power station at Carpi brilliantly embodies Futur-e’s aim: to turn the decommissioning of every facility into a new opportunity for development,” explains Marco Fragale, Head of Futur-e. “Enel wants to rethink the use of its power station sites and come up with solutions and projects that meet innovation, social, environmental and economic criteria. We believe very strongly in this project and the idea of a different future for the power station areas also has its beginnings in in-house research to bring together business needs with those of the local community, as is the case with Carpi.”