Among the hills of Sassari there is a world avant-garde energy storage site, which according to theTerna's CEO, Matteo Del Fante, "will contribute to generating benefits in terms of energy exchange between Sardinia and the continent which will save Italian electricity users 70 million euros a year". Just 70 million was also the investment in Codrongianos Storage Lab, where energy storage systems are being tested in an area where electricity exchanged not only with the Italian peninsula but also with Corsica transits. "By the end of the year we will present the report on this first phase of experimentation to the Energy Authority", explained Del Fante who also recalled that "a few months ago Terna also inaugurated the connection between Sicily and Calabria, and the saving in this case is 600 million a year, that is 50 million euros a month in reduction of the national price”.
The Sardinian laboratory, which has the objective of maximize the exploitation of resources from renewable sources (which in Sardinia cover 40% of energy consumption), is the largest battery site in Europe – 250 square meters of surface area, equal to 33 football pitches – and unique worldwide in terms of technologies used: only in Codrongianos there are 7, thanks to the contribution of 8 project partners (the Italian Fiamm, then Samsung, Byd, Saft, General Electric, Toshiba, Siemens and Ghildemeister).
Storage Lab is responsible for identify the right mix of technologies able to optimize the cost-benefit ratio according to needs, the periods of the year and the contribution of renewable energies, which in large part cannot be programmed. “7,4 MW of storage is already operational in Codrongianos”, assures Del Fante, illustrating the project which thus makes Sardinia a hub for smart grids, i.e. for an intelligent grid capable of integrating and balancing the production of renewable energy and its distribution. In Sardinia alone, since 2009 wind power capacity has doubled to over 1.000 MW and photovoltaics has grown 20 times, to over 720 MW.
Terna manages 4.323 km of grid on the island and employs 170 people, “con a total investment that will reach 200 million in the coming years, to which must be added the 800 million spent in the last 10 years for the development of the network”, explains Del Fante. In particular, two of the most important high voltage power lines in the world depart from Sardinia: the SA.PE.I., which connects the island to Italy, is with its 435 km the longest 1.000 MW submarine cable in the world. In operation since 2011, it cost 750 million, which is the most important electricity grid infrastructure ever built in Italy. The other super cable is the SA.CO.I., the tripolar connection between Sardinia, Corsica and Tuscany: active since 1966, it has just turned 50 and today Del Fante announced an agreement ( not formalized yet) with the company that manages the network in Corsica, Edf, to start upgrading it and then replacing it over the years.
Of all this energy produced and stored, Sardinia uses almost 70% for regional consumption, registering a surplus of over 30% which is exported not only to Italy but also to French territory, reaching Corsica. The news of an energy deficit has just arrived from France in recent days, which coincides with the advent of the winter period and will most likely force the transalpine authorities to import electricity from other European partners: "There is a minimum of concern - admits Del Fante -, the situation will have to be monitored very carefully in the coming weeks, because France uses electric heating a lot and therefore if until 22 December or from 8 January onwards the temperature is rigid, it means that France will not export and will try as much as possible to import, and therefore we too may have to draw on reserves”.
In any case, there is no risk to the functioning of Italian utilities, guaranteed the CEO of Terna: "We fully share the Authority's analysis on a technical level", which yesterday had already avoided the blackout hypothesis but spoke just in case of "expected effect” on the price of bills, given the surge in prices on the Power Exchange following the halt of production in France. If the emergency in France were to last throughout the winter period, the estimate would be of an extra cost at a national level of between 1 and 1,5 billion, which could actually fall on Italian bills.
Del Fante finally announced a agreement with State Railways for a partnership to be implemented in the coming months: it involves using photovoltaic panels in some Terna electrical stations (which took over the entire FS network), three of which are in Sardinia, to introduce clean energy directly into the railway system without going through the transmission networks. “We will get 300 GWh from this project – he said Maurizio Gentile, managing director of Rfi -, or 5% of our electricity needs, on which we will save about 40% of the cost". “The photovoltaic panels – concluded Terna's CEO – will have a capacity of 200 MW, or two thirds of the entire capacity of the panels installed throughout the country in 2015”. How long does it take to deliver the first clean energy for trains? “A year and a half from today,” the two managers replied.
