Geothermal power in Italy

View of Larderello with one of the biggest geothermal plant in Italy

Geothermal power accounts for about 1.6-1.8% of the total electric energy production in Italy and is about 7% of the total renewable energy produced in 2010.[1]: 95  The total energy from Geothermal was 5,660 GWh in 2015. Italy is the seventh country by geothermal installed capacity.[2]

Italy was the first country in the world to exploit geothermal energy to produce electricity.[3] The high geothermal gradient that forms part of the peninsula makes potentially exploitable also other provinces: research carried out in the 1960s and 1970s identifies potential geothermal fields in Lazio and Tuscany, as well as in most volcanic islands.[3]

There are 33 active geothermal plants with a total capacity of 772 MW. All the plants are in Tuscany in the provinces of Grosseto, Pisa and Siena.[1]: 94  The province of Pisa alone contributes for more than half of the national production.

The 2023 International Energy Agency (IEA) report on Italy's energy policy highlights its progress in geothermal energy within the context of achieving carbon neutrality by 2050. This aligns with the European Union's 'Fit-for-55' package and the REPowerEU plan, which influence Italy's strategies for sustainable energy. The report also draws attention to Italy's efforts to diversify energy sources, enhance efficiency, and reduce reliance on Russian natural gas imports, enhancing energy security.[4][5]

  1. ^ a b "Rapporto Statistico 2010". Statistiche sulle fonti rinnovabili. Gestore Servizi Energetici (GSE). Archived from the original on 1 April 2016. Retrieved 4 January 2012.
  2. ^ See Geothermal electricity.
  3. ^ a b "Inventario delle risorse geotermiche nazionali". UNMIG. 2011. Archived from the original on 22 July 2011. Retrieved 14 September 2011.
  4. ^ "Executive summary – Italy 2023 – Analysis". IEA. Retrieved 15 January 2024.
  5. ^ "Italy 2023 Energy Policy Review" (PDF). International Energy Agency. 2023.