Edison e Ansaldo Energia together to make the Marghera Levante thermoelectric plant (in the province of Venice) a case of Italian excellence in Europe. The agreement was signed on Tuesday 5 March in Genoa and is part of Edison's plan to support the country's energy transition with investments in Italy of 2 billion euros in the three-year period 2019-2021. The contract with Ansaldo provides for a new latest generation gas combined cycle which will use the most advanced Italian technology and which will make the Veneto plant the most efficient on the continent.
The specific investment amounts to over 300 million euros e it will also be used to build the power island, which includes the GT36 high-efficiency gas turbine developed by the Genoese company, also an example of Italian excellence. The new turbine will therefore power the combined cycle of Marghera, which will have one total electrical power of 780 MW and an energy efficiency of 63%, the highest made available today by technology. This will translate into a reduction of specific emissions of CO2 by 40% compared to the average of the current Italian thermoelectric park and those of nitrogen oxides (NOX) by more than 70%: very important results in view of the country's energy transition. The new plant will be ready in three years and the renovation works will employ 600 people, while the plant at full capacity will continue to employ 31 people, allowing the current employment levels to be confirmed.
“We want to have a leadership role in the Italian energy transition: today we are taking an important step in this direction and we are even more proud that this is happening thanks to the agreement between two Italian industrial excellences both committed to promoting the development, innovation and sustainability of the country – he declared Marc Benayoun, Edison CEO –. Ours is a concrete commitment that reflects the axes drawn by the Energy and Climate Plan in a national investment plan of 2 billion euros in the three-year period 2019-2021. Today we are leaving for an exciting journey which unites Genoa, Milan and Venice and which at the same time will pave the way for new opportunities in the rest of Italy”.
“The contract signed on Tuesday has at least three meanings – he underlined instead Giuseppe Zampini, Chief Executive Officer of Ansaldo Energia. The first is obviously commercial, it is a significant order in terms of volume and commitment. The second is technological: thanks to Edison's trust in us, we will go on to build the largest gas turbine in our company's product portfolio. The third is that we are returning to work in Italy after at least a decade in which the vast majority of our business was abroad”.
In addition to the 36 MWe GT530 turbine, the new natural gas combined cycle will consist of a recovery steam generator, a 250 MWe steam turbine and a catalytic system for reducing nitrogen oxides (SCR). This power island will replace the two electricity generation groups currently in operation: the first group will be dismantled, while the second will serve as an available reserve, in the event of maintenance shutdowns of the new combined cycle. The project will also lead to a rationalization of the plant structure with a reduction of the chimneys from 5 to 3 with a consequent lower visual impact. Edison's production park in Italy is composed of 153 plants for a total power of 6,1GW. About 80% of the electricity Edison produced in 2018 is thermoelectric thanks to 14 plants, all gas combined cycle, for an installed capacity of 4,5 gigawatts. In 1992, Edison was the first to introduce the combined cycle fueled by natural gas (CCGT: Combined Cycle Gas Turbine) in Italy, the most efficient and sustainable thermoelectric technology.
