The industrial area of Buccino (SA) is the first Renewable Energy Community formed by the companies of an Industrial Development Area. Enel X, the Enel Group company for the development of energy efficiency, has signed an agreement with the Italian Federation of Industrialization Entities Consortiums (FICEI) which has made it possible to create the first Energy Community in favor of active companies. A prototype that can be replicated wherever there are industrial areas. The formation of energy communities in Italy process with great slowness. Expectations are interesting for qualifying the transformation of energy production and consumption for both households and industries. However, accepting the slow pace is an obvious contradiction with respect to the declamation of green objectives that come from right and left. In Buccino, an interesting industrial agglomeration on the border of the province of Salerno with that of Potenza, to give life to the Community it was made an analysis of the surfaces of the Industrial Area and of the energy needs of the companies. The presence of energy-intensive warehouses or warehouses operating in sectors hard-to-abbot is powered today by two photovoltaic systems for a power of 1,6 MW of renewable energy. In 20 years they will produce around 1.250 MWh. CO savings2 per year was calculated at 807 thousand kg.
Energy communities essential for the transition
Among the founding members of the Community is the Magaldi Group which supplies the batteries for the storage. A role in continuity with the Enel X partnership, seen for the inauguration of MGTES, with a good energy storage system. Storage is the key to unlocking the potential of renewable energy, it is the guiding principle of Magaldi's business. In the specific case it is explained that the sand battery powered by a photovoltaic system is able to store energy and release it in the form of steam at high temperature."Making our companies self-sufficient, by making available the infrastructure and coordination capacity that the Industrial Development Consortia have, is the goal to which FICEI is committed". says Antonio Visconti, FICEI president. Continuing in this commitment means coinvolving all thirty consortia – from Pordenone to Cagliari, from Bari to Salerno – and aiming at sustainability, decarbonisation and above all at the energy independence of the industries. FICEI, founded in 1963, includes the industrialization consortia and bodies that manage the most strategic production areas in Italy. These are Public Economic Bodies that bring together almost 70% of the industry of the South: 20 companies that employ over 500 people. The 70s with the development policies of the South marked its success. Today they still have to face the energy and digital transformation. “The ASIs take up the challenge of the CERs and aim to become energy hubs, being able to count on the presence of many companies within them”, adds Visconti. An indispensable conversion required by the climate crisis.
Il Magaldi group it is present in the United States, Mexico, the United Arab Emirates, India and has a turnover of 50 million euros in the renewable energy sector. The choice of Enel is consistent with the Group's strategy which has so far installed 76 MW of storage capacity post counter. The effort that must be made with respect to the PNRR and European support for renewable sources must be pragmatic and shared according to an industrial-social scheme that starts from companies and reaches families. Just as happened with the first electrification of Italy.
