The World's Largest Geothermal District Heating Using Ground Water Under Construction in Milan (Italy): AEM Unified Heat Pump Project

Abstract

Large scale modular district heating using groundwater geothermal energy is under development in Milan (Italy) by AEM, the local public company, which meets a large part of the city energy needs, including gas, electricity and district heating. Unione Geotermica Italiana (UGI), the Italian non-profit association for geothermal energy, promotes the exploitation of this renewable resource. Milan, capital of the Lombardy Region, is the second most important city in Italy, leader in tertiary activities, technological markets and up to recently highly industrialized. Its present population is 1.25 million, while surrounding municipalities, especially to the North, are inhabited by some 2.5 million people. Groundwater resources are abundant and have been used since long ago for human consumption as well as for complementary scopes: agricultural, industrial and energetic. Energy production by geothermal heat pumps improves the environmental quality of both air and groundwater, beside providing sensible energy savings.