Update Report on Geothermal Development in Italy

Abstract

The first part of this paper summarizes geothermal development in Italy from1 975 to 1984. The situation in 1975 was as follows. Electric production: installed capacity 417.6 Mwe; generated electricity 2483 GWh/yr corresponding to 1.7 percent of Italian electric power. Direct uses, limited to few instances, were on the whole negligible up to 1975. The situation as of December 1984 is as follows. Electric generation: installed capacity 459.2 MWe, produced electricity 2840 GWh/yr, corresponding to 1.6 percent of Italian electric power. Direct uses include nine projects now operational and five near to becoming operational, for a total savings of 105,000 PET/yr. The second part deals with criteria, programs and objectives of geothermal development in the coming decade. The following results are expected by 1995; installed capactiyf900 MW; produced electricity 5000 GWh/yr, equivalent to 1.6 percent of total power production. Direct used are expected to include 25 operational projects for an estimated savings of 350,000 PET/yr.