Rome, April 26th, 2023 - Enel Green Power Italia and Nippon Gases Operations, part of the Nippon Gases Italia group specializing in industrial atmospheric and process gases, have signed an agreement to build a new plant for the reuse, purification, and liquefaction for food purposes of the CO2 naturally present in the geothermal fluids of the Piancastagnaio power plants in the province of Siena.
Enel Green Power will provide the geothermal fluid exiting the power plant to enable Nippon Gases Operations to reuse the carbon dioxide of natural origin contained therein by implementing an innovative process that purifies and liquefies the CO2 using the best technologies on the market.
The new Nippon Gases plant in Piancastagnaio, powered entirely by renewable sources, will ensure compliance with the most stringent quality specifications for purity and reliability of CO2 required by the food, beverage and pharmaceutical markets. The amount of "green" CO2 reused by this circular economy project will account for about 30% of the nationwide demand for "pure" carbon dioxide.
"This agreement is part of Enel Green Power's broader commitment to maximize the sustainable and circular use of geothermal resources,” said Luca Solfaroli Camillocci, head of Enel Green Power Italia. “Our goal is to generate shared value that goes beyond the production of renewable energy, through projects that intercept the needs of people, the economy, the environment, and the territory."
The major investment is part of a series of operations that the Nippon Gases group intends to carry out in Italy in order to increase its production capacity, competitiveness, and proximity to customers, with a focus on sustainable growth.
"We are pleased to be part of this important project, which strengthens our leadership position in the market of carbon dioxide and dry ice production,” comments Raoul Giudici, President of Nippon Gases Italia Group. “The high reliability of Enel Green Power plants combined with modern and efficient gas purification techniques and the use of a natural product will allow the improvement of services rendered to our customers while always respecting the environment and under the banner of sustainability, core business values of Nippon Gases.”
In Tuscany, Enel Green Power Italia operates the oldest and at the same time most innovative geothermal complex in the world, comprising 34 power plants, with a total of 37 generating units, located in the provinces of Pisa, Siena and Grosseto. Geothermal energy, with its 916 MW of installed power and an annual production of almost 6 billion KWh, in addition to meeting 34% of the regional electricity needs and accounting for 70% of Tuscany's production from renewable sources, provides enough heat to satisfy the needs of about 13 thousand users, 26 hectares of greenhouses, farms and small businesses, while also supplying an important sustainable tourism chain with 60 thousand annual visits to museum centers, plants, and natural events in the geothermal areas. Numbers that consolidate the local impacts and open horizons of sustainable development for the business fabric of the warm-hearted lands of Tuscany.
Enel Green Power®, within the Enel Group, develops and operates renewable energy plants worldwide and is present in Europe, the Americas, Africa, Asia and Oceania. A world leader in clean energy, with a total capacity of more than 59 GW and a generation mix that includes wind, solar, geothermal, and hydroelectric power, as well as energy storage facilities, Enel Green Power is at the forefront of integrating innovative technologies into renewable energy plants.
NIPPON GASES, a leading industrial gas company in Europe, is part of Nippon Sanso Holdings Corporation, a large international corporation with more than 100 years of experience in the atmospheric and process gas industry and a major presence in Japan, the United States and Canada, Europe, Southeast Asia, and Australia, operating in 32 countries with more than 19,000 employees worldwide. Present in Europe in 13 countries with more than 3,000 employees, and over 150,000 customers. The commitment of Nippon Gases to its customers, employees, contractors, and the communities in which it operates reflects its commitment to the environment and sustainability. Together we are "The Gas Professionals" and have one goal: "to improve the quality of life through the technological applications of our gases”.