The green revolution and the changes in the way energy is being produced, managed and distributed is powering a sort of chain reaction, bringing environmental, social and economic benefits. This journey also involves our power plants: we aim to make the most of our industrial heritage and give a second life to the sites of thermoelectric power plants through repurposing and new development based on the key principals of the circular economy, sustainability, innovation and sharing with communities and local institutions.
A circular, innovative approach shared with local areas
The priority of repurposing power plants is to make the most of existing assets that can become innovative integrated hubs, where diverse technologies work together to accelerate the energy transition, especially energy storage systems and new renewable resources. In the case of the Alessandro Volta plant in Montalto di Castro, for example, there will be a factory that produces trackers, the devices that allow photovoltaic panels to turn to face the sun over the course of the day. The site will see further energy developments but also cultural ones: it will become the center of an artistic initiative with The Museum of the Energy Transition, an innovative museum hub with spaces dedicated to training and spreading knowledge about the world of energy, with exhibition spaces to host art installations and visitor routes that will bring value to the area. This will be an attraction that combines the production of renewable energy with history and with the nature that surrounds the site. It will be able to welcome more than one million visitors each year.
“Doing this on the site of the Montalto di Castro power plant has a symbolic value and further enriches our plan to make the most of the site, which will be the largest of our integrated multi-functional energy hubs in Italy. Thanks to an innovative and open space, we’ll also be able to involve the very young. ”
Where the potential for new development in the energy field is not present or only partially present, we’re working to identify business projects in different sectors to be integrated into the plant sites, with examples that range from logistics to sustainable tourism, like in Porto Tolle, which will become an innovative tourist hub in an area that is a UNESCO heritage site.
A virtuous circle, based on partnerships and synergies, that is self-sustaining and contributes to the growth of Italy, thanks to the commitment of all the stakeholders involved.
Energy enters a new dimension
The energy transition that we’re leading involves the redesigning of power plants to make them more sustainable and more circular. For this reason, we’ve launched four contests to find architectural solutions that can transform plants into modern and efficient infrastructures.
The plants involved are Eugenio Montale in La Spezia, Andrea Palladino in Fusina, Torrevaldaliga Nord in Civitavecchia and Federico II in Brindisi, all sites that have contributed to the country’s social and industrial development and that are strongly linked to their local areas.
With this initiative, we’re involving local stakeholders, architects and designers, whose contributions are essential to shaping new energy hubs in step with the times, promoting the development of local areas and focusing on technological innovation, sustainability and the circular economy. These are the selection criteria for projects that will make these sites open for use by their local communities and accelerate the transition that is already under way.
This is the cultural dimension of the energy transformation: not just one enterprise or professional category, but an all-encompassing process that is transversal, crossing generations, economic segments and skills, and that can only be achieved through a synergic, collective action.