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12:03
Pagina 1
5
October 2008
QA
Osservatorio
permanente
dell’innovazione
Renewable
Energy
in Apulia.
Strategies,
competences,
projects
QUADERNIARTI
RTI
4-11-2008
Renewable Energy in Apulia. Strategies, competences, projects
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Renewable
Energy
in Apulia.
Strategies,
competences,
projects.
QUADERNIARTI
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Co-financed by the European Union
through Regional
Operative Programme (POR) Puglia
2000-2006, Measure 3.13 “Technological research and development”,
Action E “Constitution of a Permanent Observatory on Innovation”.
© 2008 ARTI
Regional Agency
for Technology
and Innovation
S.P. per Casamassima km 3
70010 Valenzano (BA) - ITALY
tel. 0039/0804670.576
fax 0039/0804670.633
[email protected]
www.arti.puglia.it
Page-setting and printing
IGM Industria Grafica
Tel. 0039.080.776.310
ARTI, the Regional Agency for Technology and Innovation for the Region of
Puglia was created by regional law in 2004 with the aim of building the Puglia
Regional Innovation System (SIR).
This means:
a) improving the overall framework;
b) strengthening individual players (research enterprises and
facilities) as regards growth in size, innovation and
internationalisation;
c) promoting cooperation between players (public-private,
private-private, public-public).
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Introduction
In 2007 the Regional Agency for Technology and Innovation (ARTI) of the Apulia Region launched a project on the
energy supply chain within the ambit of the Osservatorio Permanente dell’Innovazione and commissioned a feasibility study on behalf of the Office for Planning.
The objective of the activity was the assessment and selection of a range of technological options in the renewable
energy and the energy efficiency sector that would be appropriate for Apulia and that would be able to simultaneously
combine:
1. coherency of regional, national and European strategic energy objectives and the support of economic development;
2. “technological feasibility”;
3. capacity to provide significant economic impact on (i) the system of the businesses operating, or potentially operating in Apulia, both in terms of exploitation of unused or under used available resources, and in the creation of
qualified employment and internationally competitive goods and services, and (ii) the active research networks
in Apulia.
On this basis it is possible to define research projects, public-private experimentation and verify the technical, scientific and economic feasibility.
ARTI’s work began with the document entitled “Research programme, technological development and demonstration
of energy efficiency in the alternative energy sector for the Apulia region” in May 2006, written by an interdisciplinary
work group directed by professor Luigi Nicolais, who was at the time president of ARTI1. This document identified a
wide range of options for regional political action in the field of innovation of renewal energy and energy efficiency.
In particular, this document, moving from the constraints and opportunities that characterise the reality in Apulia
even in relation to national and community contexts, identified the following concrete technological options as being
feasible in the region: solar energy, distributed generation, biomass gasification and the production of hydrogen, as
well as the oxy-combustion of agricultural and industrial residues. Such technological choices were inserted into
three distinct project categories: (i) energy efficiency and sustainability in the civil and tertiary sectors; (ii) the optimisation of the use of energy in the agro-food chain and some sections of the transformation industry; (iii) the integration of renewable sources in transport systems.
Starting from this document ARTI began other activities. An organisational structure was defined, to implement the
activity, articulated as follows:
• The Director of the Project is Piero Rubino, a former economist at the Bank of Italy and the Authority for electric
energy and gas, currently part of the Group of public investment evaluators of the DPS, who is also in charge of
the Segreteria Tecnica of NARS, the Economic regulatory group certified by CIPE.
• The Economic impact research group, composed of internal ARTI researchers (Annamaria Fiore, Carlo Gadaleta
Caldarola, Francesco Prota), assisted in the field investigation phase by AmbienteItalia and A.FO.RI.S.
• The Scientific Committee. The Scientific Committee is composed of Pippo Ranci, who was the president of the Authority for electric energy and gas and Matteo Leonardi, an energy technologist.
• Monitoring Committee. The committee is composed of directors of the Apulia Region in the fields of Programming,
economic Development, agro-food Resources, Ecology and territorial Structure.
The work was articulated in five phases:
1. informal consultations with a panel of “Prominent Figures” operating not only in the field of energy production,
but also with equipment for the renewable energy source installations, as well as in energy resource research in
Apulia;
2. delivery of a questionnaire to companies and research entities to detail their innovative work in the field of renewable energy and energy conservation;
1
The group was composed of: F. Rosatelli and A. Saponaro (Ansaldo CRIS), M. Annunziato (ENEA), P. Campanile and P. Perlo (C.R.F.), V. Pertosa and P. Sforza (MER
MEC), A.M. Losacco (Centro Laser), R. Pasinetti (AmbienteItalia), G.M. Gasperi (A.FO.RI.S.).
I
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3. identification of the most promising technological alternatives;
4. arrangement of these alternatives on the basis of suitable merit criteria and the predisposition for in depth study;
5. planning of feasibility studies for the development of projects that incorporate the alternatives identified in the
previous phases.
As a first step (phase 1), starting in Spring 2007, the ARTI research group consulted with the main stakeholders (the
aforementioned “Prominent Figures”) active along the whole energy chain in Apulia.
This inquiry was performed via special meetings with the role-players of the regional innovation system, in the fields
of basic and industrial research.
To this end the ARTI research group conducted in-depth meetings with 35 operators active in Apulia, after submitting
in advance, a series of questions, drawn up as a preliminary questionnaire aimed at developing a dialogue. The interviewees were chosen for their knowledge acquired during the preliminary activities carried out in compiling the
PEAR plan; they include institutions, research centres - both academic and private - and companies selected on the
basis of their importance in size, quality and innovation.
The next step (phase 2) was performed via a more capillary contact by sending a structured questionnaire to about
530 persons, in which they were expressly asked to indicate the innovative activities (in progress or planned) in the
field of renewable sources and energy conservation. The companies and research institutes were selected with the
aim of obtaining, as far as possible, the widest sample coverage of companies that might be interested in energy innovation. The sample was extended to companies and research institutes outside the region that were potentially interested in operating in Apulia (they constituted about 35% of the entire sample). Furthermore, the expression of
interest was made public, not only on the website of the Agency, but also by the insertion of advertisements in two
regional daily newspapers. The questionnaire asked for general information (location, sales, personnel) and also information relative to specific innovative activities and research in the energy sector, and other data relative to: the reference market of the developed technologies (periods, modalities, niche markets); resources allocated to research
(budget, personnel dedicated to R&D); partnerships; possible financing received for the innovative activities; instruments used to protect the innovation (patents, secrecy); other contextual indications (obstacles to innovation, instruments useful for the promotion of research activities). The demonstration of interests, which had begun in May
2007, was finished on the 15th of September of the same year.
The information obtained from the in-depth meetings with the “Prominent Figures” and gathered from the questionnaires enabled an articulated picture of the scene in Apulia to be drawn up. These were used, in winter 20072008, as the basis for the work on alternative projects (phase 3). The arrangement of these technological options will
be carried out with multi-criteria comparison techniques (phase 4). The project will be completed with pre-feasibility
and feasibility studies on some of the technological options identified in the preceding phases. The technical and
scientific feasibility evaluation was started by internationally famous experts together with the research group of
ARTI (phase 5).
Within the ambit of these activities ARTI has prepared the Pamphlet “Renewable energy and energy efficiency: an overview”, aimed at supplying a first general, technological and economic overview of renewable energy and energy efficiency, with the aim of spreading knowledge and culture within Apulia.
This Pamphlet collects data and information, available at the end of 2007, relative to the first two activity phases.
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Index
SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . pag. 7
CHAPTER 1 – COMPETENCES AND THE ENVIRONMENTAL ENERGY PLAN
OF THE APULIA REGION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
”
13
CHAPTER 2 – THE PRODUCTION OF ENERGY FROM RENEWABLE SOURCES
AND THE ENERGY INTENSITY OF THE ITALIAN REGIONS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
”
17
CHAPTER 3 – COMPANIES AND RESEARCH IN APULIA:
SOME ELEMENTS OF THE OVERALL PICTURE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
”
25
CHAPTER 4 – THE WIND POWER SECTOR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
”
31
4.1 The wind power sector: manufacturing firms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
”
33
CHAPTER 5 – THE SOLAR POWER SECTOR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
”
37
5.1 The solar power sector: manufacturing firms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
”
39
CHAPTER 6 – THE BIOMASS SECTOR (AGRI-ENERGY) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
”
43
6.1 The biomass sector: design and building of plants, research activities
and provision of other services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
”
49
CHAPTER 7 – ENERGY EFFICIENCY AND SUSTAINABLE BUILDING PRACTICES . . . . . . . . .
”
53
7.1 The energy efficiency sector: energy service providers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
”
57
CHAPTER 8 – UNIVERSITIES AND RESEARCH CENTRES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
”
61
8.1 Public research entities. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
8.2 The public/private research centres . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
8.3 Enel, Ansaldo, Fiat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
”
”
”
70
72
73
APPENDIX 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
APPENDIX 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
BLIOGRAPHY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
”
”
”
75
79
83
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Renewable
Energy
in Apulia.
Strategies,
competences,
projects
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RENEWABLE ENERGY IN APULIA: STRATEGIES, COMPETENCES, PROJECTS
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Summary and conclusions
Today, support for renewable energy and energy efficiency is a priority objective of public decision-makers on a European, national and regional level, because of environmental reasons (reduction of contaminating emissions and the greenhouse effect) as well as socio-economic reasons (security of the supply
system, compliance with international obligations, reduction of the costs arising out of the dependency
on external supplies of primary energy).
One must add another reason to those set out above - one which is no less relevant: renewable sources
and energy saving are two rapidly expanding technological and market sectors on a global scale and represent an economic and employment development opportunity for companies and territories that are
able to meet the related challenges.
The regional level seems to be a terrain particularly suited to meet and overcome this challenge: not
only because many production chains, located upstream of the renewable energy and energy saving
sectors, offer a local dimension that makes them structurally “short” and integrated (one thinks, for
example, of agro-energy or the expertise necessary for the energy reconversion of residential building
assets), but also because the regional scale represents a privileged level of the new European orientation for the so-called “post-Kyoto” on the horizon until 2020 and, above all, of the Governmental commitments assumed in terms of the 2008 Financial Law.
On the Apulia regional scale, one must add the attention given to these subject by the 2007-2013 planning of the Community resources and the objectives of the Regional Environmental and Energy Plan
(PEAR). In the years to come Apulia can benefit from important Community and national resources for
the promotion of renewable energy and energy efficiency; in particular, together with other regions of
the Convergence of Objectives (Campania, Calabria and Sicily), will receive resources from the 20072013 Interregional Operational Plan (POI) “Renewable energy and energy saving”. Further funds are derived from the Operational Plan FESR Apulia 2007-2013, whose Axis II provides for considerable
resources for renewable energy and efficiency. One must not, however, forget the national support initiatives, such as the white certificates, the green certificates, the energy account, which must be exploited to an even greater extent than in the recent past.
The PEAR plan of Apulia has defined ambitious future targets and, in particular, (i) halving, between
2004 and 2016, the growth trend of regional energy consumption with respect to the preceding fifteen
years (from +19.3% to +9.9%); (ii) increasing the contribution of renewable energy as a percentage of the
total regional production from 3% in 2004 to 18% in 2016. One is dealing with a real change in the technological paradigm that was until now based on fossil sources, it was also made necessary by the
new plans of the European Commission that, as is well-know, imposes stringent objectives for 2020.
As regards the normative profile, besides the adoption of the PEAR plan in June 2007 by the Regional
Council, one must not forget the 2006 regulation on wind energy, which defines the directives for the environmental impact evaluation, in issuing permits for wind energy installations and the 2007 regulations
in the field of sustainable building. Finally, regulations are being prepared on biomasses.
7
SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS
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Contributions of energy sources to the production of electrical energy:
Historical data and the PEAR objectives (GWh)
2016
prospective
%
2016
objective
Energy Mix
2004
%
%
Petroleum products
4.893
16%
1.378
3%
1.167
3%
Steelwork gases
3.394
11%
3.394
7%
4.562
11%
Natural gas
4.232
13%
21.856
42%
13.936
32%
Coal
18.145
58%
20.373
39%
13.775
32%
800
3%
5.000
10%
8.000
18%
Renewable energy
CDR
Total
0
0%
0
0%
1.837
4%
31.464
100%
52.001
100%
43.277
100%
Source: PEAR Apulia
The current situation regarding renewable energy and technologies for energy efficiency in Apulia is
both good and bad.
Apulia is characterised by a production of energy for renewable sources that is still low as a percentage
of the regional total; besides, it is the Italian region with the highest energy intensity after the Valle d’Aosta (and is definitely higher than the national average). These elements suggest an opportunity, as has
been emphasised many times by the regional policy makers, to reconvert the generation equipment towards renewable sources and making the traditional power stations more environment friendly and developing high efficiency initiatives, also with a view of exporting the best technologies.
The regional system boasts a series of strong points.
First, a predisposition for compatible agro-energy, that is confirmed by the availability of agricultural
land already allocated to growing biomasses or that can be allocated to that use via an agricultural conversion that gives value to local resources, favouring the use of agricultural waste coming from different
sources and promoting the organisation and rationalisation of the logistic system. Today, Apulia is the
fourth Italian region in terms of biomass energy production and important national groups have inserted plant plans in this region, in their investment plans.
Second, a climatic opportunity (Apulia is one of the regions with the highest level of solar irradiation in
Europe) and solar energy technologies. This division offers interesting possibilities in various levels:
ranging from the production of thermal energy for residential and industrial use to promising projects
for the use of solar radiation for the generation of electric energy on a thermodynamic basis.
Third, a comparative advantage in the field of wind energy, due to high levels of wind in some sub-regional zones as can be witnessed by many substantial project initiatives (thanks to such factors, in 2005,
Apulia was the leading region in Italy in terms of wind-energy production). Significant industrial expertise is associated with these elements, as demonstrated, inter alia by the presence in the territory of
the largest Italian factory for the production of shafts and turbines, together with an interesting production of small sized wind turbines.
Fourth, a substantial heritage of existing buildings that offer important requalification opportunities
aimed at maximising energy efficiency, above all in civil residential settlements and public buildings,
adopting a system view capable of integrating renewable sources, distributed generation, information
technology and new construction technologies. In the field of energy efficiency, companies in Apulia,
even multi-nationals, have developed diversified know-how in various areas (high-performance air conditioning equipment; co-generation systems and high efficiency illumination; construction products with
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particular thermal characteristics; energy consumption monitoring systems).
With regard to this potential, is there an existing entrepreneurial and research infrastructure able to
meet this challenge? The field analysis presented in this work suggests that, at least to a first approximation, the answer is yes.
Numerous entities are active both in the energy production field and in manufacturing before the different production chains; in Apulia large and medium-small, regional and extra-regional companies (in
some cases multi-nationals) live together. Also, a noteworthy entrepreneurial vitality is evident, which
is confirmed by the presence of many recently formed companies, still small in size, sometimes originating from professional spin-offs of larger companies, that provide an element of strong discontinuity
with the past. To this one must add the fact that many companies that are realizing (or on the verge of
realising) projects in the renewable energy sector come from other industrial sectors; this is, surely, a signal that confirms the fact that renewable energy and energy efficiency represents an important economic development and employment opportunity. Many companies, of those assessed, have their own
personnel dedicated to research and development activities.
On a territorial level, a greater concentration of companies is found in the province of Bari. It is worth noting, however, the presence of specialised production chains in some provinces: in this regard, there are
significant examples on the province of Foggia for agro-energy, the province of Lecce for solar energy and
the province of Taranto for wind energy.
The territorial distribution of assessed companies subdivided by energy type
Source: ARTI
Research activities in the field of renewable energy are taking place within universities in Apulia, but
also at private and public research centres. Some research projects were performed with the collaboration of Universities, research centres and companies.
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The principal research themes were: agro-energy, solar energy (in particular, solar thermal energy),
energy efficiency in the construction sector; environmental monitoring of the cycles of renewable resources and innovative technologies for measuring air speed.
Researchers at the Universities in Apulia, involved in research activities connected to the renewable energy and energy efficiency sector
Fields of research1
Researchers
Department/Centre
University of Bari
Department of Design
and Management of
Agro Zootechnical
& Forestry systems
Department of Science of Vegetable
Matter Production
Department of Biology and Plant Pathology
Department
of Chemistry
Total
Polytechnic of Bari
Department of Electrical
Technology & Electronics
Department of Mechanical Engineering and Management
Department of Environmental Engineering & Sustainable
Development
Total
University of Foggia
Department of
Agro-Environmental Science,
Chemistry & Defence
Vegetale
Total
University of Salento
Department of Innovation
Engineering
Centre for Environmental Energy Research
Total
Prov.
of which
structured
Wind Solar
BA
16
6
*
BA
72
7
*
BA
32
3
*
BA
2
1
28
17
BA
17
10
*
BA
14
11
*
TA
9
6
*
40
27
14
9
14
9
LE
n.d.
n.d.
*
*
LE
68
11
*
*
68
11
FG
Energy
efficiency
Combustion
processes/
new fuels/
cogeneration
Other
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
1 The asterisks indicate the main research fields.
2 Number obtained from the Board of the Faculty of Agriculture of the University of Bari (2007).
Source: ARTI
10
Agro-energy/
Biomass
*
*
*
*
*
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Researchers from State research centres in Apulia, involved in research activities connected to
the renewable energy and energy efficiency sector
Fields of research1
Researchers
Department/Centre
Prov.
of which
structured
Wind Solar
Agro-energy/
Biomass
Energy
efficiency
Combustion
processes/
new fuels/
cogeneration
Other
National Research Council (CNR)
Institute for Building
echnologies
BA
6
6
Institute for Microelectronics
& Microsystems
LE
6
6
Total
*
*
12
Council for Research & Experimentation in Agriculture (CRA)
Institute for Agronomical
Experimentation
BA
82
8
*
New Technologies, Energy & Environment Institute (ENEA)
The Brindisi Research Centre
BR
8
8
*
Monte Aquilone Experimental Area
FG
8
8
*
*
*
1 The asterisks indicate the main area of the research activity.
2 Number obtained from the Board of the Faculty of Agriculture of the University of Bari (2007).
Source: ARTI
The data presented in this document shows different interesting project initiatives, characterised by a
good level of innovation. Many of them, already in the project finalisation phase or, in some cases, already started, could assume a growing relevance even outside of the regional and national borders.
Examples include: off-shore or deep water wind energy solutions, the innovative system of high altitude
wind energy, CO2 capture and storage projects, the planned construction of photovoltaic equipment on
a scale that is significant on a European level and the pilot projects in the field of thermodynamic solar
energy. These projects could be assisted by inter-institutional agreements reached between the regional Administration and the national Government.
The most promising technological options are represented by biomass, solar, and wind energy conversion processes and sustainable building operations. The potential for project development of these technological options is confirmed by various initiatives in progress (some are mentioned above); in
collaboration between research and industry; in the existence of specific professional expertise; in the
priorities identified by the national and Community financial support instruments; in the regional norms
that have been defined; and in general, by the favourable environmental and climatic conditions of the
territory of Apulia (orography, incoming solar radiation, wind, availability of land to be dedicated to
energy crops, flat land). The comparative advantage that the territory has, makes the ambitious path
outlined by the Regional Environmental Energy Plan concretely practicable, even though difficult.
In this regard it is useful to differentiate between technologies that are already potentially marketable,
but not yet competitive and those that are still far from being ready for release on to the market, but that
have a high research interest. For the first group precise incentives could be useful, aimed at compen-
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sating the increased cost, and legislative intervention with a systemic character and broad time frame;
for example, on the topic of energy efficiency, possible projects would be the certification of existing
buildings and the imposition of minimum standards for new buildings. For the technologies that are not
market ready, the support should be of a direct nature, owing to the basic research value of these initiatives and could be directed towards demonstrating their highly innovative content.
For a region like Apulia, characterised by significant and still widely undeveloped industrial, demographic and geopolitical potential, the support could thus be the capacity to combine local development
with the affirmation of a new energy paradigm. Benefiting from this “double dividend” would be a big
opportunity for energy requalification, production reconversion and development.
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Chapter 1 - Competences and the Environmental Energy Plan
of the Apulia Region
The process of giving the Regions normative and regulatory functions in the energy field began with Law
10/91, in which the regions were given the task of formulating Regional Energy Plans, aimed at managing the system of incentives with regional applicability for initiatives to reduce energy consumption
and support renewable sources2.
From the start, the regional competence in the energy sector was, therefore, tied to the theme of environmental sustainability. A confirmation of this direction came, in June 2001, from the so-called “Turin
Protocol” of the Conference of the Presidents of the Regions and the Autonomous Provinces. One of the
commitments of the Conference was that of elaborating plans for the reduction of greenhouse gases. In
this way the Regional Energy Plans became known as the Regional Environmental and Energy Plan
(PEAR). The PEAR constitutes a reference frame for public and private persons that have initiatives in the
energy field in an Italian region.
In June 2007, 16 regional Plans and 2 plans for the Autonomous Provinces of Trento and Bolzano were
adopted; while in the regions of Campania, Sicily and Abruzzo studies are being conducted for the drafting of these plans (ENEA 2007).
The reform of Title V of the Constitution, implemented with the Constitutional Law 3/2001, placed energy
among the subjects of concurrent legislative power between State and the Regions. Today among the
most relevant functions of the Regions is the legislative and regulatory power in the following areas:
• formulation of the political objectives of regional energy;
• location and construction of district heating equipment;
• development and exploitation of endogenous resources and renewable resources;
• issuing of hydroelectric concessions;
• energy certification of buildings;
• guaranteeing safety and environmental and territorial compatibility;
• security, reliability and continuity of regional supplies;
• achievement of the objectives of limiting greenhouse gases as envisaged by the Kyoto Protocol.
Furthermore, in agreement with Local Entities, the Regions have competence over the authorisation procedures and operation of energy production plants with a power of more than 50 mega watts (MW).
All Italian Regions have passed laws on energy, both on the theme of support for renewable sources
and energy efficiency, as well as on the regulation of energy supply and demand. In particular, between
2000 and 2006, the Italian Regions have activated two particularly relevant initiatives:
• the “Photovoltaic roofs” and “Solar heating” programmes (implementing the Ministry of the Environment’s Decrees promulgated with effect from 2000), with the goal of producing small-scale solar
powered equipment integrated into building structures;
• the actions foreseen by the Regional Operational Programmes (POR) for the 2000-2006 periods financed with the Structural Funds.
2
For a list of the main regional legislation see ENEA (2006). For more information of the July Decrees on energy efficiency, kindly consult the relative section of the web site of
the Electrical energy and Gas Authority (www.autorita.energia.it/ee/index.htm), with regards to national and regional legislation on energy efficiency in construction, the reference web site is that of the national Association of builders (www.ance.it). Finally, more information on the Energy Account and the main legislation for the support of renewable energy sources is available on the web site of the electrical service Manager (www.gsel.it).
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As regards the future, the 2007-2013 programming of the Structural Funds provides for the definition of
two Inter-regional Operational Programmes (POI). One of the two Programmes concerns “Renewable
energy and energy saving” and is aimed at (i) promoting and experimentation of advanced forms of integrated operations and supply chains aimed at increasing the energy production from renewable sources and (ii) promoting energy efficiency and reducing the tangible and intangible obstacles that limit
the optimisation of the system.
The total amount of public resources assigned to the POI destined for the Regions of the Convergence
Objective (Apulia, Campania, Calabria and Sicily), is about 1.6 billion Euro, half coming from FESR community resources and the other half from national sources3.
The Inter-regional Operational Programme is coordinated by three Authorities: the Management Authority, the Certification Authority and the Auditing Authority. The Management Authority is responsible for
the management and implementation of the programme and is entrusted to the Apulia Region.
The POI defined three intervention axes: Axis I - The production of energy from renewable sources; Axis
II - Energy efficiency and optimisation of the system; Axis III - Technical support and accompanying actions.
Axis I, will absorb 780 million Euro of FESR and national resources, of particular relevance are the operations to support biomasses, the development of the entrepreneurial class connected to research and
application of new technology in the sector of renewable energy, the support and experimental operations of geothermal energy sources, the support and diffusion of small-scale renewable energy equipment in natural areas and the smaller islands. Axis II, will have a financing of about 765 million Euro and
contains support measures for supporting the entrepreneurial class connected to energy saving, operations to increase the efficiency of public utilities, operations on the heat distribution network (excess
steam heating and cooling) and on the electric distribution grid, with the goal of publicising renewable
sources and micro co-generation.
The “technical assistance and accompanying actions” (Axis III) aims to improve the quality, efficiency and
efficacy of the actions programmed by the POI. It involves, above all, strengthening the direction and management of the Programme and to control and publicise the results to the public, to the economic-social structures, the potential beneficiaries and the actuators of the co-financing operations. The measures
in Axis III will use about 65 million Euro4.
Furthermore, it is necessary to cite five national initiatives on the topic of energy efficiency and renewable
energy that also pertain to the regional administrations.
The Ministerial Decrees of July 2004 determine up to the year 2009 the national objectives for increasing
energy efficiency of end users, demanding the achievement of these objectives to the distributors of electric
and gas energy. The regions have been given the possibility of determining the additional conservation objectives with respect to the national ones and to stipulate specific agreements to address the activities of
local distributors. The Regions, furthermore, are in consultation with the Authority for electrical energy and
gas as regards the guide-lines for the preparation, execution and assessment of conservation projects and the
procedures for issuing the relative energy efficiency documents.
Legislative Decree 192/2005 has implemented Directive 2002/91 (on construction energy efficiency) which is
aimed at improving the energy performance of buildings by the application of minimum requirements for new
buildings and large renovations, and the adoption of energy certification methodologies. While waiting for the
actuating Decrees, many local entities have adopted their own norms for building certification. At a provincial
level, the province of Bolzano was a forerunner (CasaClima project), followed by the provinces of Vicenza and
Trento; at a regional level: Veneto, Emilia Romagna, Marche, Piedmont, Liguria, Lombardy, Toscana, Umbria
and Apulia have adopted legislation concerning certification.
3
4
To this further resources coming from FAS (Under-utilized areas fund) must be added for the pursuit, via the national policies on the subject, of the same objectives.
For a detailed list of the POI objectives see Appendix 1.
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Presidential Decree 412/93, implementing Law 10/91, obliges publicly owned or publicly used buildings
to fulfil their energy requirements by favouring renewable sources, except for obstacles of a technical or
economic nature. The Regions, having a patrimony of public buildings, are required to respect this obligation.
The Decree dated 28 July 2005 introduced the Energy Account on photovoltaic energy in Italy to finance
small or medium-size photovoltaic installations. The peculiarity of the Energy Account is that it directly
increases the value of the energy production of photovoltaic plants by using a feed-in tariff and guarantees the return of the investment. The Regions do not have a direct role; they can, nevertheless, facilitate investments in their territory since, the investor accumulates the Energy Account with other
regional incentives, as long as it does not exceed 20% of the cost of the operation.
Finally, the Financial Law of 2008 (Law no. 244 dated 24 December 2007) intervenes in a significant way
on the incentives for renewable sources (some of the measure envisaged are: a new incentive system
for equipment in use after 31 December 2007; differentiation of the incentive by type of source, even if
the incentives for agricultural biomass and photovoltaic energy remains the same). Above all, the Financial Law provides a more stringent coordination between the State, the Regions and Local Authorities for the attainment of production objectives from renewable source (25% of the gross internal
consumption by 2012). A decree of the Ministry of Industry and Economic Development (MISE) will split
up of the minimum objectives of Regions and Autonomous Provinces. The Regions are however obliged
to provide plans and objectives, including forms of administration by an external commissioner in case
of non-fulfilment.
As mentioned earlier, the Regions must define reference standards for public and private subjects that operate in the energy field. The PEAR plan of Apulia identifies a series of actions and instruments to support the
development of an efficient and sustainable regional energy system, that gives priority to energy saving and
renewable sources and that is coherent with the regional socio-economic context. The temporal reference period of the Plan is 2009-20165.
The Plan is articulated in three parts. The first part, “The regional energy context and its evolution”, analyses Apulia’s energy system based on a reconstruction of the regional energy balance for the period
1990-2004. The second part, “Objectives and instruments”, defines the direction and actions of the region’s energy policy. The third part, “The strategic environmental evaluation”, aims to verify the protection level of the environment associated with the actions indicated above.
The regional objectives are defined above all on a strategic level and, then, where possible, confirmed
at a quantitative level and with specific actions.
From the point of view of energy governance, the objectives of the PEAR plan are the following:
• peg the CO2 emissions derived from the generation of electrical energy from fossil fuel sources with
respect to the 2004 values and create a differentiated energy mix, gradually limiting the use of coal
and substituting it with natural gas;
• provide electrical energy production from renewable sources of about 8,000 Giga Watt Hours (GWh)
for 2016 (rather than the forecast amount of 5,000 GWh);
• reach 150 MW of installed solar photovoltaic power, thanks also to the continuation of the Energy Account incentives;
• publicise the “short bio-energy chain” in the territory, based on a local biomass supply system of
agricultural and forest origin aimed at small-medium distributed heat production, which could be
combined with excess steam heating and cogeneration; develop the bio fuel chain in the transport
5
The Regional Environmental Energy Plan of Apulia was adopted in June 2007.
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sector as well as in agriculture for heating; start projects whose objectives are experimentation with
activities related to the production and use of bio-gas from livestock waste;
• increase the capacity of the electrical energy transport and distribution system in such a way as to
reduce network constraints; increase the gas supply capacity in terms of quantity and differentiation
of place of origin;
• pay particular attention to the development and production of hydrogen, which shall be improved
with research and integration with the development strategies of renewable sources.
With these assumptions, the scenario foresees and increase on energy from renewable sources, whose
quota of electricity production would be 18% in 2016, with respect to the 10% trend and the 3% of 2004
(table 1).
Table 1 - Contribution of energy sources to the production of electrical energy:
historical data and PEAR objectives (GWh)
2016
prospective
2004
%
Petroleum products
4.893
16%
1.378
3%
1.167
3%
Steelwork gases
3.394
11%
3.394
7%
4.562
11%
Natural gas
4.232
13%
21.856
42%
13.936
32%
Coal
18.145
58%
20.373
39%
13.775
32%
800
3%
5.000
10%
8.000
18%
0
0%
0
0%
1.837
4%
31.464
100%
52.001
100%
43.277
100%
Renewable energy
CDR
Total
%
2016
objective
Energy Mix
%
Source: PEAR Apulia
On the side of regulating energy demand, the PEAR plan indicates the following objectives for 2016:
• in the residential sector, maintaining almost stable the consumption of fossil fuel for heating, notwithstanding the forecasted increasing volume of buildings, and reduce electrical consumption by
about 3% with respect to 2004. To summarise, the objective is to reduce residential consumption by
197 thousand tep6 (ktep) with respect to that forecast by 2016;
• in the tertiary sector, pegging of heating consumption with respect to 2004 and reduce the forecast
increase of electricity consumption. The objective is to reduce the tertiary sector consumption by
108 ktep with respect to the forecast scenario;
• in the agriculture and fishing sector, a greater use of biomass is foreseen and a 1% annual increase
of the bio-fuel quota;
• in the productive sector, contain the forecast increase in final energy consumption, with regards to
both electric energy and fuel for heating, and a reduction of liquid fuel usage in favour of natural
gas. The objective is to save 170 ktep by 2016 with respect to the forecast value;
• in the transport sector, avoid consumption increases derived from transportation of people and significantly reduce the increase of forecast consumption (50%) with regard to goods transportation.
To summarise, the objective is to reduce the consumption of primary energy by 169 ktep with respect to that forecast by 2016.
As a whole, the objective of the PEAR plan is to halve the increase of consumption recorded in the 19902004 period.
6
The tep stands for “equivalent tons of petroleum” . Expressing in a common unit of measure all sources of energy taking into account their thermal power (1 tep =
10 million Kilocalories).
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Chapter 2 - The production of energy from renewable sources
and the energy intensity of the Italian Regions
The regions with the largest production of renewable energy are Lombardy, Trentino, Piedmont, that benefit from
large alpine hydroelectric plants, and Toscana, that on its own produces all if Italy’s geothermal energy. In Southern Italy, the largest producers of renewable energy are Abruzzo and Calabria, thanks, again, to local hydroelectric plants.
In Apulia, the total energy balance is positive (in 2005, the gross electric energy production was 32,600 GWh,
almost double the regional consumption and equivalent to almost 11% of the national production, graphic 1).
The production from renewable sources was only about 3% of the regional total. One must, however, remember that, in the last few years, there was a decisive increase: the production went from 6 GWh in 1994 to almost
1,000 GWh in 2005.
Table 2 - Gross contribution to electrical energy production in Apulia (in GWh)
Year
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
Italy
244,424
251,462
259,786
265,657
276,629
278,995
284,401
293,865
303,321
303,672
Apulia
15,789
23,321
23,192
22,954
25,358
26,411
29,854
30,994
31,230
32,600
% of Italian total
6.5
9.3
8.9
8.6
9.2
9.5
10.5
10.5
10.3
10.7
Source: elaborated by ARTI with ISTAT data (2007), PEAR Apulia Region and
(for the data relative to the gross electric energy production for Apulia for 2005)
Terna (2006)
The production of renewable energy of Apulia was only 2% of the national total (graphic 1).
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Graphic 1 - Contribution to the gross production of electrical energy from renewable sources in Apulia
Source: elaborated by ARTI with ISTAT data (2007) and PEAR - Apulia Region
This data, however, is strongly influenced by the fact that Apulia is the only Italian region that does not
have hydroelectrically-produced energy, nor geothermal energy production sources, for obvious geographical reasons. If one excludes the production of these two sources, Apulia‘s contribution to the Italian production from renewable sources rises to 12% (graphic 2).
Graphic 2 - Contribution to the gross production of electrical energy from renewable sources, excluding hydroelectric and geothermal energy in Apulia
Source: elaborated by ARTI with ISTAT data (2007), PEAR - Apulia Region, ENEA (2007)
More specifically, Apulia is the leading Italian region in wind energy production (Terna 2006). As at 31st
December 2006, the wind power generated in Apulia was 468,4 MW, while the total electrical energy
production was 586,5 GWh in 2005, a quarter of the national production from that source (table 3).
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Table 3 - Gross production from wind farms for the Italian regions in 2005 (GWh)
Region
Wind
% of Italian total
Apulia
586.5
25.0
Campania
560.5
23.9
Sardinia
409.3
17.5
Sicily
382.3
16.3
Abruzzo
177.8
7.6
Others
227.1
9.7
ITALY
2,343.4
100.0
Source: elaborated by ARTI using ENEA and Terna data
Apulia’s leading role is explained by its geographic, orographic and environmental characteristics, that
make it a privileged territory for the installation of wind turbines, because of the number of usable wind
hours (figure 1).
Figure 1 - Map of the specific production capacity at 50 meters above ground
Source: CESI (2002)
19
2. THE PRODUCTION OF ENERGY FROM RENEWABLE SOURCES AND THE ENERGY INTENSITY OF THE ITALIAN REGIONS
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In addition to Apulia, other large producers of wind energy are Campania (560 GWh), Sardinia (409 GWh)
and Sicily (382 GWh).
The production of photovoltaic electric energy in Apulia is 0,4 GWh, corresponding to 10% of the national production, which makes it the third largest producing region using this source (table 3). During the
course of 2005, only Apulia, Campania, Abruzzo and Sardinia have had an appreciable production of
energy from photovoltaic cells (more than 0,1 GWh).
Table 4 - Gross production from photovoltaic plants by region in 2005 (GWh)
Region
Photovoltaic
% of Italian total
Campania
2.1
52.5
Abruzzo
1.0
25.0
Apulia
0.4
10.0
Sardinia
0.2
5.0
Sicily
0.1
2.5
Source: elaborated by ARTI with ENEA and Terna data
Apulia is particularly suited for exploiting solar energy because of the extensive irradiation that it receives during the year (figure 2); nevertheless, this potential is still poorly exploited, despite the fact that
Italian law provides many incentives for the installation of photovoltaic equipment.
Figure 2 - Global annual horizontal irradiation expressed in thousands
of watt/hours/year (kWh/y)
Source: ENEA
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The production in Apulia of electrical energy from biomasses is 421.3 GWh - a little less than 7% of the
national total (table 5). The regions with the greatest production of electricity derived from this source
are Lombardy (1.968 GWh), Emilia Romagna (909 GWh) and Calabria (752 GWh), thanks to the availability of large thermo-exploitation installations and vast agricultural and forest resources.
Table 5 - Gross production from biomass installations by region for 2005 (GWh)
Region
Biomass
% of Italian total
Lombardy
1,968.4
32.0
Emilia R.
908.8
14.8
Calabria
752.4
12.2
Apulia
421.3
6.8
Veneto
374.0
6.1
Others
1,729.9
28.1
ITALY
6,154.8
100.0
Source: elaborated by ARTI with ENEA and Terna data
Even in respect of this source Apulia, from the start an agricultural area, has notable potential, both because of uncultivated land, that could be used for the cultivation of dedicated crops (this could also
have the positive effect of reducing the desertification tendency of some areas), and owing to the need
for crop conversion that has been verified in some areas7. Moreover, one could increase the recovery
both of agricultural waste (for example, the waste from pruning) and the waste products derived from
agro-industrial activities (in particular, grape and olive residues, due to the importance of wine and olive
growing)8.
It must be stressed that, despite a situation with some positive elements, Apulia is still far from reaching its objectives. The production should increase from the current quota of 3% of energy from renewable source to the 18% envisaged in the objective-scenario of the PEAR plan by 2016.
The concept of energy efficiency is important in order to identify the progress made by the actions aimed
at achieving a more rational use of energy (a better energy utilisation both in providing services and in
the production of goods, reducing energy consumption while providing the same service or producing
the same goods). The calculation of the indicators enables a detailed analysis and comparison of energy
efficiency with other territorial entities and the reference territory.
It is difficult to measure the energy efficiency of a geographical area with an indicator; the most widely
used is, however, the energy intensity of the GDP (PIL) i.e. the ratio between primary energy consumption
and the Gross Domestic Product. On the basis of this indicator, Apulia has the highest energy intensity
after the Valle d’Aosta, definitely greater than the national average (graphic 3).
7
8
One can think of, for example, sugar beet from the Foggia area.
It is, nevertheless, difficult to evaluate with precision what is the effective potential on this subject, in fact, the data is often contradictory.
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Graphic 3 - Final energy intensity of GDP (PIL) for the regions - 2004
(tep/millions of Euro - linked values, base year 2000)
ISTAT (2007)
The energy intensity of GDP (PIL), has the advantage of being a simple indicator of energy efficiency, nevertheless it does not take into account the structural characteristics of the different areas. What penalises Apulia with respect to other regions with lower income is the existence of thermoelectric stations
targeting energy export and industries with a high energy intensity like the iron and steel industry9. This
consideration emerges from a comparison of energy intensity data of different segments of the energy
demand: industry, agriculture, tertiary, residential.
In the industrial sector, that includes the electric energy production industry, the energy intensity in Apulia with respect to the added value is greater than that of all other Italian regions (table 6). The tertiary
sector in Apulia has the lowest energy intensity of the nation, but is the highest in Southern Italy.
9
In 2004 Apulia has, in fact, consumed about 53% of Italian solid fuel (2,691 million teps), mainly due to the local thermoelectric stations and steel industry. Even
if it depends on structural reasons, this does not mean that there is no space for energy efficiency improvement; according to the regional PEAR plan: “in comparison with the national thermoelectric system, Apulia’s has a lower energy efficiency. In fact, if the mean national specific consumption was about 2,075 kcal/kWh over
the last 15 years, for Apulia it was 2,295 kcal/kWh”.
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Table 6 - Energy intensity of industry, agriculture, fishing and the tertiary sector with respect to
added value (tep/million Euro - linked values, base year 2000)
Industry
Region
Piedmont
Agriculture and fishing
Tertiary
2000
20041
2000
20041
2000
20041
148
163
109
92
19
23
Val d’Aosta
134
120
33
98
19
48
Lombardy
103
100
113
127
18
22
Trentino A.A.
94
100
67
59
15
18
Veneto
108
115
103
97
20
23
Friuli-Venezia Giulia
197
229
97
100
19
22
Liguria
166
154
133
60
15
19
Emilia-Romagna
132
143
128
158
23
28
Toscana
137
143
89
77
19
23
Umbria
230
240
104
102
15
19
Marche
74
89
123
165
16
19
16
Lazio
57
51
105
139
15
Abruzzo
115
155
102
121
17
21
Molise
172
107
99
124
13
16
Campania
106
99
76
87
12
12
Apulia
402
397
144
130
13
17
Basilicata
180
150
86
90
18
21
14
Calabria
68
64
57
43
11
Sicily
258
244
78
48
12
13
Sardinia
326
185
106
106
10
12
ITALY2
147
151
108
111
18
19
North
121
125
111
114
19
23
Centre
105
109
103
114
16
18
South
219
205
96
85
12
14
1
Estimate.
Total obtained by summing the consumption of the regions recorded on the regional balance sheets. This data does not coincide with the total national energy
consumption as reported in the national energy balance sheet due to the different methods used.
2
Source: ISTAT (2007)
Even in the case of the residential energy intensity, Apulia presents intermediate data which is between
the national value and that of the Southern Italy10 (table 7). As in the case of the tertiary sector, the sector energy intensity is largely dependent on climatic factors. This data indicates that in Apulia there is
much room for improvement in building energy efficiency.
10
To measure the energy efficiency of the domestic consumption, ISTAT relates the energy intensity to family consumption.
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Table 7 - Residential energy intensity relative to family consumption
(tep/millions of Euro - linked values, base year 2000)
2000
20041
Piedmont
52
54
Val d’Aosta
68
88
Lombardy
50
49
Trentino A.A.
45
42
Region
Veneto
42
41
Friuli-Venezia Giulia
39
40
Liguria
41
38
Emilia-Romagna
44
49
Toscana
33
35
Umbria
32
33
Marche
31
31
Lazio
31
34
Abruzzo
37
37
Molise
32
30
Campania
24
23
Apulia
27
31
Basilicata
28
33
Calabria
18
21
Sicily
19
20
23
28
Sardinia
2
ITALY
37
41
North
46
47
Centre
32
34
South
24
25
1
Estimate.
Total obtained by summing the consumption of the regions recorded on the regional balance sheets. This data does not coincide with the total national energy
consumption as reported in the national energy balance sheet due to the different methods used.
2
Source: ISTAT (2007)
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Chapter 3 - Companies and research in Apulia: some elements
of the overall picture
Apulia is characterised by a structural excess energy offer and by a production quota of energy from renewable sources compared to the regional total which is still low. These elements suggest the opportunity, which has been emphasised many times by regional policy makers, to perform a conversion of the
generation equipment towards renewable sources and make traditional stations environment-friendly
and develop high-efficiency operations, with an eye to exporting the best technologies.
Within this framework it is crucial to attain a balanced mixture of sources.
Up until now Apulia has been able to avoid the risk of an excessive concentration on a single renewable
source. So it is necessary to continue to diversify the “portfolio” of new energy technologies in general
and renewable sources in particular, as well as the necessity to concentrate the new research initiatives
in a few well-defined fields. An element that must not be overlooked is also that of reinforcing the local
electrical distribution grid in such a way as to make a larger use of renewable sources and recourse to
diffuse generation sustainable: in essence, the grids must be made “active”, being able to dynamically
manage the energy distribution produced from renewable sources.
In this regard it is useful to differentiate between technologies already potentially marketable, but not
yet competitive, and those that are still far from being marketable, but are very interesting to research.
For the first group precise incentives could be useful, aimed at compensating the increased cost; for
those that are still far from the competitive phase, the support should presumably be direct, given the
intrinsically non-competitive character and the value of basic research for such initiatives.
The first phases of the chain project of ARTI have been directed towards the recognition of the existing
skills in Apulia with regard to research and innovation in the field of renewable energy and energy efficiency.
The results of the analysis performed suggest that the most promising technological options for Apulia
are: the biomass energy conversions processes (in particular, those for the production of second generation fuels); solar sources (in particular, the thermo-dynamic solar); wind sources; and interventions in
the field of bio-compatible building and ecological building11. These indications found support in the recognition of the following elements characterising the scenario in Apulia.
First, the inclination towards compatible agro-energy, that is confirmed in the availability of agricultural
land already intended for the cultivation of biomasses or that can be used for that purpose after an agronomic conversion that adds value to local resources, favouring the used of agricultural waste from various sources and promotes the organisation and rationalisation of the logistic system12.
Second, the climatic and technological solar energy opportunities: this division offers interesting possibilities
on various levels: ranging from the production of thermal energy for residential and industrial use to promising
projects that use solar radiation for the generation of electrical energy on a thermodynamic basis, seen as an
alternative to photovoltaic energy.
Third, the comparative advantages in the field of wind energy, as witnessed by the consistent number of initiatives, located, above all, in certain sub-regional zones (on the ridges of the Dauno Apennine, in Capitanata,
in Salento), that are associated with important industrial expertise, thanks to the presence of a significant wind
energy industry which is still growing.
11
The construction of ecologically sustainable buildings is to be understood in these terms that, thanks to a balance between active methods (equipment used) and
passive method (construction methods used for the insulation of the building), enables the attainment of an optimal climatic comfort using the right quantity of energy
and resources.
12
On this front it seems appropriate to stimulate the use of biomasses with a high conversion efficiency.
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Fourth, a consistent construction heritage that offers important requalification opportunities aimed at maximising energy efficiency, above all in civil residential and non residential settlements and in public buildings,
by adopting the view of a system able to integrate renewable sources, distributed generation, computerisation
and new construction technologies.
A further confirmation of the strong project development potential of these technological options can be found
in: numerous current initiatives (characterised by a good degree of innovation); the collaboration between the
world of research and industry; the existence of specific professional skills; and in defined regional regulations13. Ample evidence will be given of the above, in the discussion to follow.
During the investigation some themes of a general nature have emerged. First of all, the importance of system
actions and operations of technical assistance. Different role-players have suggested the suitability of supporting intangible investments14, as has been emphasized the necessity of public authorities to perform the function of “director” acting to simplify the phases of obtaining authorizations, coordinating the actions of other
public entities with relevant skills and in promoting, or facilitating, the integration of productive processes which
are relevant to supply chains.
Of the possible operative instruments, the strengthening and development actions which have a harmonizing
effect and the involvement of the territories could have a very relevant role in making renewable energy projects more acceptable to the local communities.
With regard to companies the results of the investigation have permitted the identification of numerous entities active both in the energy production field and in the manufacturing field upstream the various supply
chains.
The entrepreneurial context has a number of noteworthy characteristics. Above all, the structure appears interesting: in Apulia large and medium-small companies live together, regional and extra-regional (in some cases
multinationals), active in various stages of the production chains. Over the years there has been a noteworthy
entrepreneurial vitality: many companies have been recently formed, still of small size, that have at
times originating from professional spin-offs of bigger companies, that represent an element of interest. To this one adds the fact that many of the companies are creating (or about to create) projects in
the renewable energy sector while coming from other industrial sectors; this is, surely, a sign the confirms the fact the renewable energy and energy efficiency represent an occasion for economic development and employment which is important for all those geographical areas and companies that are able
to accept the associated technological and market challenges. The growth rate of these markets is, in
fact, extremely relevant15.
With regards to the geographical location of these companies on the regional territory, one notes that the
greatest concentration is in the province of Bari. Nevertheless, it is worth noting that in some provinces a certain specialisation of production in some chains: there are significant examples of the province of Foggia for
the production of agro-energy, in the province of Lecce for solar energy and the province of Taranto for wind
energy (figure 3).
13
In addition to the Council’s adoption of the Regional Environmental Energy Plan in June 2007, the regulations on wind energy should be borne in mind, which define directives for environmental impact evaluations for granting the necessary authorisation for the installation of wind energy equipment (“Regulations for the construction of wind farms in the Apulia Region”, Regulation no. 16 of 2006 of the Apulia Region). More recently, regulations on the subject of sustainable energy in
construction (“Regulations on the use, verification, inspections and maintenance of heating and air-conditioning equipment in the region”, Regulation no. 24 of
2007 of the Apulia Region). Finally, regulations are being prepared on the subject of biomasses.
14
Two initiatives started by Tecnopolis on programmes with national financing are very interesting: (i) service infrastructure (this is a new territorial information system of the Apulia Region, to be integrated with SIPRA, for environmental protection and, subsequently, with the civil protection agency); (ii) actions to support the
development of business.
15
For a description of the national and international context see ARTI (2007).
26
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Figure 3 - Territorial distribution of registered companies subdivided by castigatory
Source: ARTI
Various companies, of those registered, have their own personnel dedicated to research and development; table 8 shows the number of people involved and the fields in which they are concentrated. In numerical terms (in terms of number of companies and personnel) the prevalent field is that of agro-energy,
but solar energy research is particularly innovative (in particular, long term thermodynamic solar energy)
and the development of new methodologies for characterising sites for wind farms.
It is significant that there are companies that are involved in the development of initiatives and projects
using different sources of renewable energy.
In short, therefore, the field analysis has shown that the solar and wind energy sectors are thriving, as
is the biomass and agro-energy sector in general, this is confirmed by the fact that about one third of the
registered companies in the survey phase have started, or are developing, projects in this field.
27
3. COMPANIES AND RESEARCH IN APULIA: SOME ELEMENTS OF THE OVERALL PICTURE
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Table 8 – Research personnel in the field of renewable energy and energy efficiency in companies
located in Apulia1
Research fields2
Company
Office
ENEL
Brindisi
39
ITEA
Gioia del Colle (BA)
20
Conversano
15
Matrix
CRIS - Ansaldo
14
CR FIAT
Valenzano (BA)
13
Osram
Modugno (BA)
8
Plasma Solution
Valenzano (BA)
7
STC
Mesagne (BR)
7
Thermocold Costruzioni
Modugno (BA)
6
Fantini Scianatico
Solar
Agro-energy
Combustion
Energy processes / new
efficiency fuels / cogeneration
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
Bari
5
Manfredonia
5
*
4 nrg
Casarano (LE)
4
*
*
*
*
*
Bari
4
Santeramo in Colle (BA)
4
Bari
3
Costruzioni Solari
Cavallino (LE)
3
Jonica Impianti
Lizzano (TA)
3
Mengoli Elettromeccanica
Galatina (LE)
3
*
Bari
3
*
Foggia
3
Bari
3
Foggia
3
SkySaver
Ambienteitalia
Modutech
Pelco
Modutech
Pelco
AS di Labruna
*
2
2
CMG Solari
Melissano (LE)
2
Conversano (BA)
2
Bitonto (BA)
2
*
Taranto
2
*
Lucky Wind
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
Foggia
2
2
Spelit
Bari
2
Pneoil
Crispiano (TA)
1
*
Sol.Tec
Crispiano (TA)
1
*
Total
*
*
*
Monopoli (BA)
Socoges
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
189
The companies listed in the table are those that explicitly declared that they internally perform research and development activities.
The asterisks indicate in which field the research activity is mainly concentrated.
Source: ARTI
28
*
*
Monopoli BA)
Keinstar Associates
*
*
Spinazzola (BA)
Gruppo Etis
*
*
Castello di Monteserico Group
CSD
2
Wind
Rasa Realtur
Co.Ge. Engineering
1
R&D
Personnel
in Apulia
*
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The ferment in the renewable energy and energy efficiency sector is further confirmed by the participation of companies and research institutions in public tenders for the promotion of innovation in the
energy field16.
In the field of public consultations with companies for the identification of projects for the creation of industrial energy efficiency programmes promoted by the Ministry of Economic Development within Industria 2015, have provided numerous ideas for projects to be developed in Apulia (table 9).
Table 9 – Territorial areas in which ideas will be developed for projects presented for Industria
2015 on the theme of energy efficiency
Regions in which ideas will be developed for projects
1
no. of ideas
% of total 1
Lombardy
388
36.4
Emilia Romagna
318
29.8
Lazio
288
27.0
Veneto
283
26.5
Campania
274
25.7
Piedmont
259
24.3
Apulia
232
21.7
Toscana
222
20.8
Sicily
198
18.6
Calabria
168
15.7
Friuli Venezia Giulia
164
15.4
Marche
161
15.1
Liguria
150
14.1
Umbria
141
13.2
Abruzzo
135
12.7
Basilicata
129
12.1
Trentino Alto Adige
127
11.9
Sardinia
127
11.9
Molise
87
8.2
Val d’Aosta
83
7.8
The question on regions that intend to develop ideas for projects was a multiple choice type question, for that reason the total is not 100.
Source: Ministry of Economic Development (2007)
In the following paragraphs we will describe the main companies and the most innovative projects carried out or being carried out in the field of renewable energy and energy efficiency, subdivided by type.
The information on companies and projects are derived from direct interviews with the subjects operating in Apulia selected of the basis of relevance with respect to size, quality and innovation, and by the
survey done via questionnaire sent to over five hundred operators in the field of renewable energy and
energy efficiency.
16
For the list of companies and research entities in regional tenders aimed at promoting innovation, see Appendix 2.
29
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Chapter 4 - The wind power sector
The wind power sector benefits not only from a clear competitive advantage, given Apulia’s high winds, but
also from the industrial expertise that has progressively developed there. Apulia boasts a significant presence
of major operators and overall the region would appear to possess considerable industrial and design capacities.
Apulia’s manufacturing sector appears to be complete: there are firms working in the field of anemological campaigns, manufacturers of energy-generating windmills, manufacturers of electromechanical and hydraulic
components and tower manufacturers.
Manufacturing activities that particularly stand out include the production of wind towers, turbines and blades. Apulia is home to the sole Italian factory of the Danish multinational Vestas, a world leader in the production of turbines. There is also significant production of small wind turbines, a sector in which Jonica Impianti
operates, producing turbines that feature an innovative electrical generator.
Finally there is no lack of research and development activities, conducted both by manufacturing firms and
firms developing specific projects in the wind power field (such as Pneoil, Sol.Tec, CSD and Castello di Monteserico), and service activities (consultancy firms). The most innovative research activities concern new methods for determining the characteristics of wind power sites. To these we may add incremental development
activities that aim primarily to improve the energy efficiency of windmills and turbines for ad hoc uses. In this
last sector we find a number of small firms involved in these development activities, including partnerships
with universities in and outside Apulia.
There are, then several initiatives that regard new installations by firms outside the region. One of the experimental and research projects worthy of mention is the Kite Wind Generator or Kitegen, an innovative concept
in wind power generators based on a vertical rotation axis. Wind energy is captured by semi-rigid wings controlled by cables fixed to the ground where the energy-generating machinery is located. The main advantage
of these kites in comparison with the traditional energy-generating windmill is that they can be taken to altitudes at which average wind strength is higher. The firm developing the Kitegen project is interested in applying
it on a prototype basis in Apulia.
Because of the project’s innovative nature, mention should then be made of the potential creation of an offshore deep-water wind farm by SkySaver. Project initiatives of this kind are characterised by high degrees of
innovativeness and potential, yet at the same time are difficult to implement from an engineering point of
view in the Italian context, due to the presence of seabeds that are rather deep on average. Aspects relating
to innovation would appear to be related to plant design rather than strictly to energy itself17. A further potentially positive aspect of the off-shore initiatives lies in the possibility of reactivating, at a local level, expertise developed in the area of shipbuilding in recent years, which after the decommissioning of a number
of manufacturing sites has not been put to adequate use. Another interesting initiative is the one undertaken
in the Foggia area by Fortore Energia which, being strongly rooted among local enterprises, answers the need
to consolidate and develop concerted actions involving local communities. The absence of such actions in
fact often impedes the development of projects in the energy field, which may actually represent paths towards
broad economic development on a local scale.
17
Such features increase the cost of off-shore systems, meaning that the investment is justified only in the case of high average wind strengths at the site.
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The table below provides some information in brief about firms operating in Apulia which were recorded
in the project’s census of the sector.
Table 10 - Firms operating in the wind power sector in Apulia
Location
Firm
Vestas Italia srl
Main headquarters
Plants/installations
in Apulia
Taranto
Taranto
Turnover1
(in millions
of euros)
Employees
in Apulia 1
Year
founded
481,82,4
4272,4
1997
2
Tozzi Sud SpA
Foggia
province of Foggia
61,7
510
1980
Asja Ambiente Italia Spa
Rivoli (TO)
Laterza (TA)
40,32
n.d.
1995
Inergia SpA
Ascoli Piceno
Lecce
29,72
n.d.
2003
3
3
120
1996
2
5,9
n.d.
2002
Leucci Costruzioni srl
Brindisi
12,2
Sistemi Energetici srl
Foggia
province of Foggia
Brulli Energia srl
Reggio Emilia
Orsara di Apulia (FG)
5,5
n.d.
1999
Lucky Wind SpA
Foggia
Accadia (FG)
3,3
13
1995
Fortore Energia SpA
Lucera (FG)
province of Foggia
1,12
n.d.
2001
Jonica Impianti società cooperativa
Lizzano (TA)
1,1
21
1992
CSD srl
Conversano (BA)
1,0
5
2003
Spinazzola (BA)
0,6
16
2006
Pneoil sas
Crispiano (TA)
0,2
6
n.d.
Sol.Tec
Crispiano (TA)
0,1
4
n.d.
SkySaver srl
Santeramo in Colle (BA)
Tricase (BR)
n.d.
7
2003
Wind Service srl
Soleto (LE)
province of Lecce
n.d.
5
2003
Gruppo Italgest
Melissano (LE)
Torre Santa Susanna (BR),
Nardò (LE),
Panni and Bovino (FG)
n.d.
n.d.
n.d.
Bari
1
Unless otherwise stated, data were provided by the firms themselves and refer to 2006.
Data taken from the Aida database for 2006.
4
Data regarding turnover and number of employees also include the following two firms: Vestas Nacelles Italia srl and Vestas Blades srl.
2
3
Source: ARTI
32
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4.1 The wind power sector: manufacturing firms
As already mentioned, Apulia’s manufacturing sector is complete. It has significant industrial experience,
although it does not display clear traits of innovativeness in technological terms.
Taranto is the location of the sole Italian factory of the Danish multinational Vestas, the largest manufacturer of wind turbines in the world (with a global market share of around 30%). Vestas Italia was
established as IWT out of a joint-venture between Finmeccanica and Vestas Wind Systems, which in 2001
acquired complete ownership of IWT, its name changing to the present one in 2005. Currently Vestas has
two plants in Taranto with a manufacturing capacity of 550 turbines per year. The Taranto site also commissions and services wind farms located in the eastern Mediterranean basin. During its 10 years of operation, Vestas Italia has introduced several innovative products18. Research and development mainly
takes place in Denmark, while Taranto is essentially a manufacturing site. Nevertheless, there are partnerships in progress with two departments of the Politecnico di Bari (the Department of Environmental Engineering and Sustainable Development at the Engineering Faculty of Taranto and the Department
of Mechanical Engineering and Management), under a project funded by the Apulia Region for the improvement of simulation programs to determine the wind characteristics of sites by means of fluid dynamics-based simulations, and with the Laser Centre (anemometric campaigns conducted using the
Lidar system).
Jonica Impianti operates as a cooperative in the area of micro-generation. Founded by former Finmeccanica employees, Jonica is a firm that is active vertically throughout the whole sector: from the design stage
to the installation and maintenance of small wind turbines (energy-generating windmills below 100 kW),
essentially aimed at farms and small companies, for both on- and off-grid users. The turbine currently in
production features an innovative electrical generator (synchronous axial-flow, multi-pole permanent magnets, directly attached to the rotor). This turbine is installed in several wind farms in Tuscany, the Veneto, Apulia, Calabria, Lombardy, Campania, Piedmont, Trentino and Sicily. The firm is active in research
and development; of particular note is the project for the development of processes of transformation
and design of innovative structural components in composite materials for small-scale wind power generators and solar thermal panels, a project in progress with Solar Constructions, Special Processes and
the Department of Engineering Innovation of the University of Salento (a strategic project funded by the
Apulia Region). The company also took part in the European Union’s Sixth Framework Programme for Research (2000-06) with a project on the use of thermography for the preservation of turbines together
with, among others the Italian Section of the International Solar Energy Society - ISES Italia. The company is currently developing a lightweight, 100-kW machine, and a joint project is underway with the Politecnico di Bari (Department of Electronic Engineering and Electronics) to develop innovations in inverters
(converters) and to optimise the energy conversion stage of a small-scale wind turbine. Other scientific
partnerships are in progress with the Università degli Studi di Bari and the CETMA consortium.
Tozzi Sud is a firm that operates at an international level between its Foggia plant and sites located
around the world in the field of industrial electrical plant engineering. Over time the group has extended
its operations, moving into electricity production, initially building traditional or combined-cycle power
stations and subsequently concentrating on renewable energy sources, and especially on wind (with
wind farms in several zones of the Tavoliere). Through Tozzi Renewable Energy, its subsidiary in the field
18
V42-660kW and V44-600kW turbines, fixed speed with pitch control; OptiTip and OptiSlip systems which, with their improved ability to control gusts, improve energy
efficiency; V47-660kW turbine, the first to be manufactured in the innovative material Prepreg, a fibreglass used in the aviation industry; V52-850kW, the first variable-speed turbine to incorporate the innovative OptiSpeed system, which allows energy efficiency to be maximised and noise to be minimised.
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of renewables, it has specialised in the creation of this type of system with low environmental impact.
Daunia Wind, another company in the group, is ready to build a number of wind farms in Capitanata and
other provinces in Apulia. The company has active partnerships with universities and research centres.
Through Tozzi Nord, an engineering firm with headquarters in Trento, it has initiated a research, development and prototype-testing project for innovative windmills for energy generation over a broad area.
The project will be developed jointly with the University of Trento, Università “La Sapienza” in Rome,
the Politecnico di Bari and the University of Marche. Furthermore, the company is actively involved in
other sectors. With regard to solar power, it has initiated a joint project with the National Nanotechnology Laboratory of Lecce (among other things it is also one of the funders of the new molecular nanotechnology laboratory), the purpose of which is to put into production photoelectrochemical cells (DSSC
or dye-sensitised solar cells, using an organic colourant), that is, hybrid organic/inorganic cells as an alternative to silicon-based cells. With the Institute of Technology for Alternative Energy in Messina (ITAECNR) it is working on two projects: the first aims to create low-cost prototypes for direct generation of
hydrogen from solar energy (photoelectrochemical cells), while the purpose of the second is to create
prototype regenerative fuel cells which are made from a combination of an electrolyser (an electrochemical cell fuelled by electricity that produces hydrogen) and a fuel cell (an electrochemical cell fuelled
by hydrogen that produces electricity), to be used as a back-up energy source for hospitals, schools and
other public buildings. Finally the company also has joint projects with the Università degli Studi in Foggia in the biomass sector.
Leucci Costruzioni operates in the engineering sector. Since 1986 the company has been part of the
Fochi Group in Bologna, which specialises in the building of plants for energy generation. Specifically with
regard to the renewables sector, it manufactures steel towers for wind turbines and evaporators for desalinisation plants19.
There are several energy producers (also from outside the region) and projects for new installations. As
previously mentioned, of the projects currently underway, one of particular significance in terms of innovativeness is the initiative of SkySaver. The firm, which forms part of the international group Blue H
and in which the Luxembourg’s Dufenergy has a stake, aims to be the first company in the world to inaugurate an off-shore deep-water wind farm20. The project initially envisages the installation on the sea,
at a depth of 110 metres, of a prototype, tension-leg floating platform, similar to those used for the extraction of petroleum, located under the water level, off Tricase in the province of Lecce, more than 20
kilometres from the shore. In December 2007 the first prototype was fixed in position in the sea off Tricase. The platform has a particular system of anchorage system at sea, with a two-blade turbine (lighter
than a three-blade one and therefore with fewer problems connected to transportation and fixing at
sea). The project envisages the installation of 24 platforms by 2011, for a total of 90 MW of installed
power, with investment totalling 191 million euros. The utilisation of Green Certificates should make the
investment partly self-financing. This project benefits from public funding of about 5 million euros under
“PIA Innovazione” (a scheme of integrated facilitation packages)21. SkySaver is working together with Jonica Impianti to develop an ad hoc turbine for floating platforms, and with shipbuilder Cantieri Navali
C.B.S. in Brindisi, where the prototype was built.
19
Its towers are installed in several wind farms, including those of San Benedetto Val di Sembro (province of Bologna), Celle San Vito (province of Foggia), Rocchetta
Sant’Antonio (province of Foggia), Sclafani Bagni (province of Palermo), Carlentini (province of Siracuse), Frigento (province of Benevento) and Ginestra Schiavoni
(province of Benevento).
20
It is an off-shore deep-water system, starting from a depth of 50 metres. Italy’s coastline is characterised by deep water beginning just a few kilometres from the
shore. Therefore, conventional off-shore generation technologies are not directly applicable.
21
In addition the project constitutes a genuinely integrated system: the central part of the platform is designed to house a system for the production of hydrogen from
a renewable source. With regard to this aspect a joint project is underway with the Department of Engineering Innovation of the University of Salento. The oxygen deriving from this process will also be used for mariculture operations. In this connection, together with the Department of Biological and Environmental Science and Technology of the University of Salento, SkySaver is designing bio-compatible counterweights.
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Lucky Wind is a company that specialises exclusively in designing, manufacturing and operating plants
that produce electricity from wind power. It has operated a 24-turbine wind farm in the province of Foggia, in Accadia (the first wind power site in Italy), since 1999, with an installed power capacity of over 10
MW. Lucky Wind’s development activities include locating sites for the future construction of wind farms
in several foreign countries that are particularly interesting for their strong winds (Tunisia, Morocco,
Egypt, Bulgaria, Albania and Kosovo).
An interesting initiative, in that it responds to the need expressed by several players to reinforce and develop concerted actions involving the local area, is the one undertaken by Fortore Energia. Its distinctive
feature is its strong ties with local firms, insofar as renewable energy sources particularly lend themselves to the building of a path towards economic development on a local scale which sees the broad
participation of local firms. Fortore Energia is a company in which 28 local authorities that make up 2
mountain communities (Fortore Beneventano and Monti Dauni Settentrionali) hold a stake, currently
10% of the firm’s capital. Today the Foltore Group has extended to include a number of enterprises and
consortiums operating in the renewable energy and energy efficiency sectors (Fen Energia, the Romagna
Energy Consortium and ETS) and groups within the food industry (including the Orogel Group, the Amadori Group and the Conserve Italia Group), which hold the remaining share of the capital. The firm specialises in designing, building and operating plant and services for the production of renewable energy,
and is active above all in the wind power sector. It manages two wind farms in Roseto Valfortore – Ponticelli and San Chirico – for a total of over 30 MW of installed power capacity and other wind farms in the
province of Foggia. The energy produced is distributed to firms belonging to the consortium, who in turn
may sell energy to the local Authorities22. Lastly, another point to mention, is the recent setting-up of a
mixed public/private company (the procedure for which has been completed except for the conference
of planning permission issuing bodies) for the purpose of investment in a small wind farm for the village
of Roseto Valfortore; the project envisages the subsequent issue of shares to local residents.
A similar initiative has been started in Orsara di Apulia, in the province of Foggia, where the local authority and the company Brulli Energia have stipulated an agreement for the creation of a wind farm within the former’s administrative area, with a maximum power output of 60 MW. Under the agreement the
local authority will receive 50% of pre-tax profits from the farm for the entire duration of the agreement
(thirty years), with a guaranteed minimum of 10% of revenues deriving from the sale of Green Certificates and electricity. The agreement contains a series of features that operate in the local authority’s favour, including the absence of financial risk. Furthermore, the company is committed to training local
labour, which will be involved in building and operating the wind farm.23
22
One of the lines of action in support of local development on which Foltore Energia is presently working is “Fattorie del Vento” (Wind Farms), the purpose of which is
to promote a form of innovative entrepreneurship to make use of micro-generation of wind energy on a small and medium scale, thus increasing the income of small farmers. In addition, it is conducting projects regarding biomass (in Troia, to be used for a district heating plant) and photovoltaics. These projects form part of the “Azienda
Agrienergetica” (“Agrienergy Enterprise”) and “EcoDistretto” (“EcoDistrict”) initiatives.
23
The initiatives recorded in our initial census stage include others that have been or are being completed. Recently, not far from Lecce, a wind farm was opened by
Inergia, based in Ascoli Piceno (of the Santarelli Group in Rome), with a total installed power capacity of 36 MW. Other projects underway regard the Asja Ambiente
Italia Group, which is developing a 40-MW system in Laterza (province of Taranto), plans to build one in San Pancrazio Salentino (province of Brindisi) and is interested in developing, also in Apulia, other renewable energy sources; the Italgest Group, which is planning to build, inside the Integrated Pole for renewable energy
and energy saving, four plants: two in the Salento region and two in the province of Foggia (see Box 2); Sistemi Energetici, which has received the go-ahead from
the Apulia regional authority for the building of wind farms in the province of Foggia (Deliceto, Lucera and Troia); and Wind Service which is developing wind farms
in the province of Lecce (in Martignano, for a total of 20 MW of installed power capacity, and in Giuggianello, for a total of 28 MW) as well as new models of microturbine. Lastly we should mention the interest of the Spanish group Gamesa, one of the most important producers in the world, in developing on-shore and off-shore
wind power in Apulia.
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Box 1 - The wind power sector: research and development activity
CSD is a consultancy firm advising clients in the development of power stations supplying electricity from
renewable energy sources as well as providing feasibility studies for producing cultures of tropical seeds.
Currently it is engaged in a joint project with the Department of Environmental Engineering and Sustainable Development at the Engineering Faculty of Taranto for the development of a horizontally rotating wind
power system.
The Castello Group of Monteserico is engaged in the development of alternative energy initiatives that can
be activated in agriculture (see section 6.1). In conjunction with the Politecnico di Milano (Department of
Aerospace Engineering) it is also developing a low-cost, high-efficiency 20-kW wind turbine.
Pneoil and Sol.Tec, the latter owned by Cosimo Massimiliano Marangi, are two firms in the province of Taranto that are working in partnership with each other on a project that has repercussions for the wind
power sector: the development of an oil hydraulic system for wind turbine blade movement, in order to
make the movement of the blade more flexible in relation to the direction of the wind, thus increasing power
output.
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Chapter 5 - The solar power sector
Solar power systems are of two types: photovoltaic and thermal. Solar thermal technology makes it possible
to transform the energy associated with solar radiation into heat energy. Systems vary according to the temperature of the heat-transfer fluid, and can be classified as follows: high-temperature solar thermal or thermodynamic solar technology, used for the production of electricity; medium-temperature solar thermal; and
low-temperature solar thermal, which is the most widely used solution in terms of plant design.
The activity of surveying the situation in Apulia highlighted the existence of significant potential for solar thermal technology in low-temperature applications, such as heating of buildings and sanitary water, summer air
conditioning of buildings and several industrial processes.
In general, solar thermal has beneficial effects for manufacturing and employment, such as: developing high
levels of professional expertise, in particular in research, in marketing, in the optimisation of energy efficiency
and in thermal monitoring; and providing a boost for niche research into composite materials for parabolic dishes, such as nano-particles and high-insulation glass micro-spheres, or aerogel, which might be produced
in Italy on a significant scale thanks to excellent potential for replication, thus replacing imports from the United States.
In addition, our direct survey would appear to show that the feasibility of manufacturing 100-120°C solar panels on an industrial scale is close to becoming a reality. These would be used to power “absorption chiller
units” with the capacity to replace air conditioners during hot periods (through what is known as solar cooling). In this regard it has been possible to reduce the power of the lithium bromide-fuelled units to be combined with these solar panels, reducing power outputs from 20 kW down to 4.5 kW. This downsizing could
enable a part of the current air conditioners to be replaced with expansion-based elements (the previous
scale of 20 kW in fact was excessive for residential applications).
From a longer-term perspective (and from the research viewpoint) mention should be made of the potential
offered by thermodynamic solar technology in the area of electricity production. In this sphere a promising technology appears to be that based on parabolic panels, which achieve temperatures of 150-300°C, and for
which the Salento region possesses leading-edge experience. The development of such technology would
enable a strong impact to be made upon solar thermal applications in the industrial sector, which operates
mainly at temperatures of this kind, thus extending solar’s field of application beyond the frozen-food and
food industry where it can be currently applied. The successive technological phase lies around the threshold
of 450°C. A highly innovative technology for the achievement of high temperatures is what is known as “solar
tracking” using motorised systems.
In December 2007 a protocol agreement was signed between the Department of the Environment and
the Regional Authorities of Lazio, Apulia and Calabria in order for them to host a number of pilot projects
for thermodynamic solar concentration technology, which would join the project already underway in
Priolo, Sicily. In order to develop this source a task force has been set up, consisting of about 15 experts,
headed by the Nobel Laureate Carlo Rubbia. The task force will have the duty of preparing a development
plan and coordinating the activities contained in the protocol agreements signed with the Regional Authorities. The aim of the agreement is to build ten 50-MW power stations and to spread the use of thermodynamic solar technology to North Africa. With regard to the localisation of the plants in the regions
concerned, the projects are still in their initial stages. It is the Department of the Environment’s intention to finalise regulations that provide an incentive for energy produced from thermodynamic solar concentration technology, after the Spanish model.
37
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The situation in Apulia overall would seem to demonstrate sufficient research and industrial capacity (for
example, the province of Lecce is the home of Idaltermo, one of the few firms in Italy specialising in solar
collectors and related water circulation systems), which for solar thermal may form the basis for sustained development characterised by a high degree of innovativeness.
Manufacturing activities combine with research and development activities directed towards continuous
innovations in solar thermal applications (Idaltermo, CMG Solari, Gruppo Etis) and also towards the accomplishment of longer-term projects involving thermodynamic solar technology. Costruzioni Solari, a
company located in the province of Lecce, is particularly active in these fields, as is evidenced by its participation in a project financed by the Ministry for Universities and Research which involves other enterprises and universities (based in Apulia and elsewhere) and which is directed towards the
establishment of a centre/laboratory specialising in research into innovative technical solutions for the
building of high-temperature solar systems for the production of electricity, both directly (from thermodynamic cycles) and indirectly (through thermochemical processes for the production of hydrogen-rich
fuels).
In the field of solar photovoltaics several major new installations are planned, for example a large solar
photovoltaic power station in Brindisi by the Salento company Italgest.
Apulia can boast manufacturing expertise in this sector too: the province of Foggia is home to a company
(Depasol) which produces photovoltaic panels and supporting structures for photovoltaic systems; while
the province of Brindisi is the location of a branch of a Padua-based firm which produces and installs photovoltaic systems. Furthermore there are operations directed towards improving the efficiency of existing panels (Spelit) or their integration from an architectural perspective. There are also firms engaged
in research into the incremental improvement of technologies (Mengoli Elettromeccanica, Rienergia).
Lastly, many enterprises are present in the Apulia region in the design and building stages of both thermal and photovoltaic systems (for example EnerGENIA in the photovoltaic field). These firms, which for
the most part were established recently, include a number of enterprises engaged in development activities.
The table below provides some information in brief about firms operating in Apulia which were recorded
in the project’s census of the sector.
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Table 11 - Firms operating in the solar power sector in Apulia
Location
Firm
Main headquarters
Plants/installations in Apulia
Turnover1
Employees
(in millions
in Apulia 1
of euros)
Year
ounded
SE Project srl
San Pietro in Gù (PD)
Brindisi
77,5
10
1994
S.P.E.S. Gioia SpA
3,3
52
2004
Matrix srl
Conversano (BA)
3,0
60
1993
Gruppo Etis Tecnologie srl
Bitonto (BA)
2,0
21
2003
Mengoli Mario
Elettromeccanica srl
Galatina (LE)
2,0
30
1970
Soleto (LE)
Costruzioni Solari srl
Cavallino (LE)
Cavallino (LE)
1,5
14
1979
Idaltermo srl
Acquarica del Capo (LE)
Acquarica del Capo (LE)
1,02
102
1989
CMG Solari
Melissano (LE)
Melissano (LE)
0,7
7
1981
Plasma Solution srl
Bari
Valenzano (BA)
0,53
8
2004
Modutech
Bari
0,2
3
2002
Rienergia srl
Montemesola (TA)
0,1
4
2005
0,0
2
2005
n.d.
n.d.
1999
n.d.
4
2006
n.d.
n.d.
n.d.
Spelit srl
Bari
Depasol EcoEnergy Systems
Trinitapoli (FG)
EnerGENIA
Conversano (BA)
Gruppo Italgest
Melissano (LE)
Trinitapoli (FG)
Brindisi
1
3
2
Source: ARTI
5.1 The solar power sector: manufacturing firms
Costruzioni Solari produces high-efficiency solar panels, horizontal and vertical boilers, and related
products (supporting structures, hydraulic and electronic components – control units and thermostats),
in addition to systems and control units designed to manage the system, reduce maintenance, improve
safety and autonomy and to meter the cost of energy. The firm is characterised by research and experimentation in innovative solutions in the solar thermal field. It holds two European licences (one for a distribution, management, measurement and metering kit for a solar thermal system, potentially combined
with other energy sources; the other for enhancing a solar boiler). Its research is presently focused on two
fields: high-efficiency flat solar panels (with improved insulation) for temperatures of around 100°-120°C
for supplying heat during the winter period (as a replacement for natural gas) in enclosed spaces and for
cooling by means of absorption chiller units during the summer period (solar cooling), not only for residential uses; and non-focalised, small-scale parabolic dishes for producing steam at 250°C for industrial
applications (a project funded by the MUR).
Over a longer timescale, the firm plans to develop the technology to achieve temperatures of up to
400°C, that is temperatures from which electricity may potentially be generated through the building of
small electrical power stations. In its research into thermodynamic solar technology, the firm is a mem-
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ber of the Solar project, the aim of which is to achieve temperatures of up to 600°C24. Another project
which the firm plans to initiate concerns carbon nano-tubes, connected to polymers which act as donors.
Costruzioni Solari has a broad network of joint projects both with other firms and universities and research centres: the University of Salento (Department of Engineering Innovation), the Politecnico di Milano (Department of Energetics), the CNA in Rome, R.B.M. in Brescia, Radiant Bruciatori in Pesaro,
Turboden in Brescia and the CETMA consortium.
Idaltermo is one of the few firms in Italy specialising in solar collectors and related water circulation systems. The collectors are designed, manufactured and tested in its factories25. The firm also has a presence on overseas markets through its products.
CMG Solari is a firm specialising in solar thermal plant design. One of the innovative aspects of its products
is their improved aesthetics and greater architectural integration. Furthermore it has recently introduced onto
the market a system featuring natural circulation, characterised by a totally-sealed circuit based on evaporation and condensation which is particularly simple to install and service. Its projects include a new heat storage system.
With regard to solar photovoltaics, Depasol EcoEnergy Systems is the only Apulia-based manufacturer
of photovoltaic panels and supporting structures for photovoltaic systems. Depasol’s market includes
all residential, industrial and commercial applications for both stand-alone or grid-connected solutions.
The firm’s plans include the establishment of another two companies: Depasol Silicon, for the manufacture of silicon ingots and wafers, and GD Cells, for the manufacture of photovoltaic cells.
Recently SE Project opened its technical office for Southern Italy in Brindisi. The Padua-based firm specialises in the production and installation of multicrystalline and monocrystalline silicon. Specifically, it
specialises in the production of modules and systems integrated architecturally through the use of semitransparent solutions. It also develops and builds remote monitoring systems for photovoltaic installations.
With regard to new installations, in addition to the significant creation of a photovoltaic power station in Brindisi described in Box 2, we should mention the activity of Servizi Polifunzionali EcoSostenibili which is overseeing the installation of photovoltaic systems on the school buildings of Gioia del Colle, as well as the
installation of wind power systems26.
Matrix’s research and development activities revolve around the following sectors: renewable energy (above
all photovoltaic), sensor networks, ICT and power electronics. It has an MUR-accredited research laboratory. Specifically it has patented (with the patent being recently recognised at the international level) a device that permits energy efficiency improvements in final use and above all a new means of managing the temporal priorities
of electrical loads when photovoltaic systems are installed on buildings. Its current research activities also regard the areas of photovoltaics and energy savings. It is currently engaged in a project with the University of
Salerno to develop low-cost photovoltaic inverters that can be connected to a home automation system. Another expansion of the system provides for integration with hydrogen fuel cells for total integration between renewable energy sources. Also in association with the University of Salerno, it is developing a “single-panel
converter”, that is, an electronic board which accomplishes the function of maximum power transfer for each
24
25
26
For further details about the project, refer to Box 6 regarding the activities of CREA.
The main material used is “Blu Select” copper with Titanium, characterised by high absorbency and for which technical manufacturing specifications are used.
The firm operates in the fields of waste collection, public lighting and management of advertising spaces for the local authority of Gioia del Colle.
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panel, in order to improve the power output of the overall system (by up to 20%) by avoiding inefficiencies. Such
know-how might be used to integrate photovoltaic panels into prefabricated modular building structures. In addition to the University of Salerno, it has joint projects with the Politecnico di Bari, ENEA in Brindisi and EnerGENIA in Tera.
Plasma Solution, a spin-off of the University of Bari’s Chemistry Department, specialises in processes of surface modifications to materials with low-temperature plasma technology and the design of plasma reactors
from the laboratory to the industrial scale. Of the several activities that it conducts, many of which are in conjunction with the Chemistry Department, there are some that may have a significant impact on renewable
energy technologies: barrier film deposits of various technologies and types, with particularly advantageous
characteristics, above all for materials that must resist the effects of atmospheric agents, such as solar panels.
In addition, a project has been developed for Depasol to treat crucibles in order to produce silicon with innovative low-doped characteristics27.
With regard to other research and development activities conducted by firms, mention should be made
of the activities of the following: the Etis Tecnologie Group, which is developing a new technology directed towards increasing the temperature of the water in solar thermal collectors; Mengoli Elettromeccanica, which is working on the design of photovoltaic systems for solar tracking without the use of
electronic equipment28; Rienergia, which is developing systems for controlling the performance of networked photovoltaic systems; Spelit, which is conducting studies into applications for obtaining the maximum output possible in the design and building of photovoltaic systems with the use of panels and
conversion equipment already available on the market and for optimising output from conversion as
well as electric and electronic circuit design for inverters; EnerGENIA, which, as a tester in association
with other firms in the sector, is working on a project for building systems with photovoltaic modules with
an integrated on-board analogue control device, a solution which should improve the energy efficiency
of panels29; Modutech, with its MUR-accredited laboratory, which has already introduced innovations
in the field of renewable energy such as a high-efficiency transparent photovoltaic gel, a biomass-fired
combined heat and power plant and a zero-impact heat generation system. It is currently engaged in
developing a combined heat and power plant with zero environmental impact. Its main academic partner
is the Politecnico di Milano.
27
The term “doping” in relation to pure semiconductors (such as silicon, in fact) refers to the process of introducing into them certain impurities which alter their
characteristics.
Other projects are directed towards biomass (methods which do not require combustion processes) and energy saving on a small, medium and large scale.
29
In addition, they are interested in developing economical solutions which make it possible to integrate photovoltaic systems with the use of hydrogen, in order
to create off-grid systems that are much more efficient and reliable than ones running on traditional batteries. It has joint projects with academic institutions (the
Politecnico di Bari, the University of Salerno) and other research centres (ENEA in Brindisi, Matrix in Conversano).
28
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Chapter 6 - The biomass sector (agri-energy)
Biomass is one of the topics that most readily captures the interest of firms – and not only farming enterprises
– in Apulia, as a result of the changes being made to the Common Agricultural Policy (insofar as they are seen
as supplementary income sources for farmers), of the interest shown in substituting traditional fuels, and of the
prospects for energy conversion of the farming industry30. For farmers in particular, energy production from
biomass is seen as an opportunity to revive the farming sector and as a solution for closing the agro-industrial
waste cycle, based on reutilisation, thus moving in the direction of a multifunctional conception of agriculture.
A thorny issue is whether to opt for a “short-chain” model in which added value is integrated within the local
area, or an alternative “long-chain” model, which is decentralised both vertically and geographically. PEAR in
Apulia has expressed itself in favour of the former. Given the high impact in terms of the energy consumption
of transport, it is doubtful whether importing biomass from other geographical areas as fuels to be used in
energy conversion is beneficial from an environmental viewpoint. It is true, however, that for initiatives on a
certain scale recourse to imports seems to be indispensable, given that there is insufficient potentially available land in the region. It should be pointed out in any case that such a choice inevitably weakens the potential
for establishing a local energy supply chain, by reducing the benefits to the Apulia region; furthermore, if not
carefully managed and monitored it risks being transferred overseas, essentially onto developing countries, and
causing significant environmental and social problems31.
On an economic level, biomass production may be advantageous for the farming sector on condition that crops
with a sufficient per-hectare yield are produced or when “short-chain” solutions are chosen, based on the raw
material being used near where it is produced or by producers themselves.
In Apulia there is a large amount of land potentially available for dedicated crops deriving from the retirement
of traditional crops (tomato, sugarbeet) or from areas opened up by the introduction of short-rotation food
crops with which waste produce from agriculture (olive and wine growing) and agro-industry (above all residues
from olive and grape processing) is associated.32
In energy conversion, solid biomass is a highly attractive option. There may be good prospects for biodiesel,
bioethanol and biogas (biomethane) obtained from cereal crops, which are suffering from a change of direction in the Common Agricultural Policy (known as “decoupling”). Particular promise is held by biogas obtained through anaerobic digestion of dedicated crops and the lignocellulose sector with energy production
based on a short chain or through gasification processes; the latter option is connected to the topic of secondgeneration bio-fuels, to which we will return later.
30
An in-depth assessment of bio-energy issues in the Apulia region is contained in Pellerano et al. (2007).
31
The experience of Delta Petroli provides a real-life example of the potential features of international joint projects. The firm aims to create an agri-energy supply
chain involving operations producing green energy in various fields of action. To realise such an energy project it is necessary to integrate it with an “extended” supply chain project which would involve a number of areas which were previously undergoing deforestation in northern Madagascar in order to supplement production in Apulia, thus adding ethical value to the business initiative and thereby earning a sort of “double dividend”.
32
Of the lands that are candidates for conversion to bio-fuel use we would mention those used for sugarbeet, a traditional crop in the Apulia region which over recent decades has undergone a crisis as a result of a collapse in prices and the crisis in the sugar industry, and tomatoes (in the Foggia area), an industry in difficulty
due to the appearance of phytopathologies probably resulting from intensive exploitation of broad areas to supply the canning and bottling industry. A similar argument could be made for wheat, a crop which requires an extremely limited use of productive factors: with the reform of the PAC, land areas historically given over
to cereal cultivation become candidates for bio-fuel crops. With regard to dedicated crops one that seems to offer good prospects is Arundo donax (giant reed). It
is a crop that makes few demands in terms of water and fertilisation, and offers advantages in environmental terms and with regard to hydro-geological retention.
Of the oil-producing crops we should mention Brassica carinata, similar to rapeseed and containing active ingredients capable of substituting methyl bromide (banned in 2008), already grown on an experimental basis in Sicily, and Jatropha Curcas, a tropical plant which would readily adapt to Apulia’s land and climate (it does
not require, for instance, large quantities water and is able to reproduce with modest degrees of human intervention, so much so that it possesses almost weedlike characteristics). It lends itself to a multiplicity of uses (ranging from use in basic diesel-fuelled generators for heating to use in lighting in place of petroleum).
At university agricultural research centres in Bari and Foggia experimental seed cultures of north African origin are undergoing testing. The comparative advantage
of bio-fuels is also evident in soils cultivated for vegetables, if they are planted according to the logic of correct agronomical rotation.
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An assessment of prospects for developing residue oils derived from olive processing is more complex.
Critical aspects include the high level of humidity of oil residues (which affects their effective heat-generating potential), location, cost and environmental issues connected to storage, the risks of fermentation, and the impact of pollution produced by burning them. While on one hand there are signs of
market saturation, tensions in the price of the raw material and resistance to location of processing
plants, on the other a number of niche initiatives are emerging with the potential to exploit lands traditionally given over to oil cultivation. An interesting example of this is the initiative of a local firm in the
Salento region which, in association with enterprises from outside the region, plans to use residue oils
from olive processing both for direct combustion and through gasification. The project’s main objective
consists of integration with agricultural supply chains present in the Salento region.
Second-generation bio-fuels would appear to have valid prospects (ethanol from lignocellulosic fractions or biodiesel from gasification). These make significant benefits achievable in terms of efficiency,
as they enable the whole plant to be used, and not merely the most valued parts (such as the grain and
the seed) and do not require dedicated crops, as crop residues can be used. Their feasibility depends on
reliable assessments of the crop’s energy quality (yield) and technology. By adopting techniques deriving from the petroleum industry it should be possible, over a relatively short time period (5-7 years),
to set in motion initiatives which will benefit the Apulia region (for instance cereal crop waste, especially in Capitanata and bio-refining processes) and which are capable of improving the degree to which
the product is used. Such technologies must in any case be sustained by carefully-targeted research initiatives over the medium term.
A significant factor in exploiting the benefits offered by energy produced from biomass are its multifunctional, conditional nature, which makes it preferable that biomass projects be placed in local settings
to which they can bring clear agronomical and environmental benefits.
More generally, the challenge consists in the possibility of growing biomass that is weed-like in nature,
locating crops in extensive marginal areas, abandoned or soon-to-be abandoned lands. In this way it
would be possible to offer new productive opportunities to the farming sector, preventing the abandonment of the soil as well as the importation of raw materials from other regions or abroad, as already
mentioned, to make up the shortfall in domestic or local supply.
Interest in the bio-fuels sector in Apulia is confirmed by the presence of national groups which have included
projects for installations in the region in their investment plans. Not all of these initiatives however are characterised by a high degree on innovativeness on the technological and/or management level, being essentially geared towards energy production.
At the same time it is difficult to separate clearly those subjects engaged in technologically progressive activities from those active in energy production. It is often those very producers (or subjects involved in the manufacturing side such as the Sofinter Group) who experiment with new crops or new systems for exploiting
the energy potential of biomass. Activities conducted in the Apulia region range from experimentation with
non-food crops (Castello di Monteserico Group), to oil refining for combustion plants (Marseglia) and the development of other processes for making biomass available for use in energy production (4nrg, Pelco, Castello di Monteserico, Socoges, Italgest Ricerca, MS Costruzioni), to the production of bio-fuels (Ital Bi
Oil, Delta Petroli). There is also no lack of enterprises engaged in plant construction, including combined heat and power plants (CoGe Engineering) and in the production of electricity from biomass (Ital
Green Energy, Appia Energy). There are also operating and research activities that regard closing the
cycle of waste and its re-evaluation from an energy viewpoint (ITEA, Progeva).
There are several proposals for new installations of biomass-fired plants (Asja Ambiente, Sistemi Energetici, Gruppo Ciccolella, Italgest). We should also mention the presence of several enterprises engaged in de-
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signing and building plants and providing various services (consultancy services and “business angel” activities33). The table below provides some information in brief about firms operating in Apulia which were
recorded in the project’s census of the sector.
Table 12 - Firms operating in the agri-energy sector in Apulia
Location
Firm
Main headquarters
Marcegaglia
Appia Energy
E.T.A.
Mantova
Massafra (TA)
Crotone
Marseglia GroupCasa
Olearia SpA
Ital Green Energy srl
Ital Bi Oil srl
Monopoli (BA)
Monopoli (BA)
Monopoli (BA)
Monopoli (BA)
Caviro Società Cooperativa
Agricola
Faenza (RA)
Ansaldo Caldaie SpA
ITEA SpA2
Ricciarelli Spa
Pistoia
Taranto
Manfredonia (FG)
Carapelle (FG)
Corigliano (LE), Molfetta (BA)
Bisceglie (BA)
Turnover1
Employees
(in millions
in Apulia 1
of euros)
Year
ounded
1.987,55
14,43
23,83
n.d.
353
n.d.
550,0
246,63
65,3
38,24
n.d.
443
183
124
1983
2000
1990
1974
1990
1999
1993
292,0
n.d.
1966
191,13
6,7
5003
25
1964
1961
16,13
n.d.
1985
3
Delta Petroli SpA
Roma
11,9
n.d.
1979
Sistemi Energetici srl
Foggia
5,93
n.d.
2002
Socoges srl
Monopoli (BA)
5,0
20
1992
4nrg srl
Roma
2,0
4
2003
CSD srl
Conversano (BA)
Spinazzola (BA)
1,0
0,6
5
16
2003
2006
STC srl
Spinazzola (BA)
Banzi (PZ)
Corigliano Calabro (CS)
Mesagne (BR)
n.d.
n.d.
0,5
12
n.d.
9
2007
n.d
2001
Occhilupo&Partners
Manduria (TA)
0,1
2
2001
Powerflor srl
Molfetta (BA)
Molfetta (BA)
0,0
4
2002
Keinstar Associates srl
Taranto
0,0
4
2005
CoGe Engineering srl
Bari
n.d.
3
2006
Pelco sas
Foggia
n.d.
3
1978
Progeva srl
Laterza (TA)
Laterza (TA)
n.d.
9
2006
Ambiente Italia srl
Milano
Bari
n.d.
4
2002
Gruppo Italgest
Melissano (LE)
Lecce, Casarano (LE)
n.d.
n.d.
n.d.
M.S. Costruzioni srl
Lecce
n.d.
n.d.
2007
CDM Società Agricola srl
Castello di Monteserico srl
Casarano (LE)
6
1
Both companies are part of the Sofinter Group of Gallarate (province of Varese).
4
5
6
Data relative to the 4nrg network which also includes its headquarters in Rome.
2
3
Source: ARTI
33
“Business angels” are private subjects that provide newly-established firms with capital, management expertise or contacts (potential markets for the firm) in order
to achieve certain established goals in the medium term.
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An interesting experience is that of the Marseglia Group, one of the most important players on a national level
in the agri-energy sector. One of the firms belonging to the group, Casa Olearia, specialises in refining crude oil
from olives and seeds, as well as packaging oils for food use. The firm owns two plants, one of which is in Monopoli, dedicated essentially to oils for food use and equipped with two refineries (the other is situated in the
province of Verona and is dedicated to the production of biodiesel from soya and sunflower seeds). Residue oil
from olive processing is supplied locally, which reduces the disadvantageous effect of transport costs, although
this limits collection of raw materials to local olive pressing plants which produce residues with a high water
content, a factor that reduces the energy efficiency of the process. The oil produced is transported by land and
sea. Ital Green Energy, another company of the group, was one of the first companies in the world to produce
electricity from fuel oils on an industrial scale. It currently operates a plant in Monopoli, with two power stations,
one fired by solid biomass (85-90% from both virgin and local oil residues and 10-15% from waste wood recovered from tree pruning) with a power output of 12 MW (operational since February 2004) and the other fired
by liquid biomass with a power output of 24 MW (which became operational in 2005)34. The company Ital Bio
Green is responsible for supplying raw material for Ital Green Energy’s power stations, with oil drying and wood
grinding plants. Finally, Ital Bi Oil is specifically responsible for producing biodiesel for vehicles and heating, producing over 150,000 tons a year. The firm has entered into agreements with Ansaldo for the use of biodiesel byproducts (such as glycerine).
Significant initiatives are also included in the industrial plans of Italgest, which intends to build two combinedcycle power stations fired by sunflower seed oil in Lecce and Casarano (in the province of Lecce) respectively
through the switching of large areas of farmland previously given over to tobacco cultivation (see Box 2).
The company Appia Energy operates in Apulia. It is a part of the Marcegaglia Group35, which manages the first
power station to produce electricity from fuel obtained from solid waste (CDR), which came onstream in the middle of 2003. The power station processes 94,000 tons of waste per year, has a gross power output of 12 MW
and the capacity to produce 75 GWh per year. Also in Apulia, another two power stations fired by fuel from solid
waste (CDR) are being built by companies in which the Marcegaglia Group has a majority shareholding: in Manfredonia (a 14MW power station for an investment of 50 million euros) and in Modugno (10 MW for an investment
of 45 million euros)36.
In Apulia there are two companies belonging to the Sofinter Group of Gallarate (province of Varese). Ansaldo
Caldaie is a world leader in the manufacture of boilers; the boilers produced by Ansaldo use both traditional
(fossil) fuels and biomass and household waste. In Apulia, in addition to its manufacturing operation, it has a
“Combustion and Environment” research centre, forming part of the CRIS-Ansaldo consortium which will be
dealt with below. Itea has advanced technologies for the safe disposal of toxic waste and the simultaneous
production of steam and/or energy with extremely high energy yield. Projects are underway for energy recovery
from biomass (essentially residues from olive oil processing) with low environmental impact, and it has joint projects with the Politecnico di Milano, the Università degli Studi di Bari, the University of Bologna, CNR and ENEL.
34
It also operates a 1-MW photovoltaic plant.
Marcegaglia is a Mantua-based group operating primarily in the steel industry, although it has operations in other sectors (construction, tourism and services),
not least in the energy sector. Within its specific division, Marcegaglia Energy, the group specialises in developing and building projects for generating electricity from
energy sources that are renewable and alternatives to fossil fuels; managing the household and special waste chain; energy recovery and efficiency; manufacture
of photovoltaic panels; building plants powered by renewable energy sources; research and development in the field of energy conversion.
36
In addition, also in Massafra, a platform for processing household waste is being built through the CO.GE.AM. consortium, for a total investment of 100 million
euros.
35
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Progeva operates in the field of recovery of non-hazardous organic waste through composting, and of
by-products of animal origin not intended for human consumption. Its Laterza plant is authorised to process 45,000 tons per year of the biodegradable organic waste fraction. Currently an anaerobic digestion
plant is being tested on a pilot basis for transforming the organic fraction of household waste, together
with material deriving from livestock rearing and other residues, for energy recovery (biogas production) and recovery of material (compost, to be used as fertiliser). The interaction between the pilot
anaerobic digestion plant and the composting plants (an aerobic process) will make it possible to close
the waste management chain by reutilising the digested material for the production of fertiliser. The firm
has joint projects underway with the Department of Environmental Engineering and Sustainable Development at the Politecnico di Bari, ENEA (Brindisi and Trisaia), Serveco, Rienergia in Montemesola
(province of Taranto), and Twe.
There are other interesting projects, too, although they are still at a preliminary stage. Caviro, the farmers’
cooperative belonging to the group of the same name37, besides its manufacturing operations in Apulia, plans to start up a project in the wine- and olive-growing sector with recovery of discarded grape and
olive residues for the production of heat and electrical energy by means of combustion. The project
should involve, through the setting-up of an ad hoc company, wine producers in the provinces of Foggia and Bari, as well as a number of local companies specialising in the processing of olive oil residues
interested in its recovery38.
Ricciarelli, of the Bari-based Milella Group, is building a number of combined heat and power plants mainly
fired by liquid biomass (pure vegetable oils), some of which are located in Apulia. Specifically, it is building
plants for the Tandoi Group at its pasta factories in Corigliano (Lecce) and the Centro Logistico Piramide Commerciale in Molfetta (Bari). Ricciarelli is also going ahead with its short-supply-chain project based on local oil
crops, together with a number of research institutes, including the Politecnico di Bari and CNR ISPA. The feasibility study for this project, the scope of which is to fuel the abovementioned plants at least in part, was
funded by the Department of Agricultural and Forestry Policies.
Delta Petroli, a firm specialising in integrated energy services, is currently engaged in a project for an agrienergy supply chain which involves green energy production activities in various sectors (agriculture, enterprise, industrial manufacturing, commercial retail, grid-based energy distribution and plant
management and maintenance). The project has set itself the objective of cultivating oleaginous crops,
in particular jatropha curcas, to be transformed into vegetable oils for combustion, in certain zones
which were previously undergoing deforestation in northern Madagascar in order to complement local
production in Apulia, thus adding ethical value to the business initiative. With the oils produced in this
manner the plan is to build combustion-based combined heat and power plants in Apulia for supplying
energy and heating to hospitals. Delta Petroli has recently commenced a similar project in Mozambique.
Sistemi Energetici is planning and designing a 15MW plant fuelled by solid biomass (wood chippings,
olive and grape residues), to be built on the site of a disused sugar refinery belonging to Eridania (Fog-
37
The Group can boast leadership at a national level in the distillery sector and in the various by-products of wine production, in addition to producing quality table
wines.
38
At its headquarters in the Emilia Romagna region the cooperative has already commenced production of heat energy and electricity from renewable energy sources (biomass, waste from vegetable matter and manufacturing processes) through combustion, and through anaerobic digestion processes applied to waste water
from manufacturing for the production of biogas. At its headquarters it has also put into operation a composting plant fuelled by waste from internal production,
and from mowing and pruning in green public areas, waste from the fruit and vegetable industries and fowl droppings for the production of organic fertilisers and
composts and a plant for the production of bioethanol using molecular sieve technology.
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gia). The project, pending the conference of planning permission issuing bodies, is set up in accordance
with the logic of a short supply chain and represents an example of how industrial zones in decline can
be revived.
Another noteworthy operation is that of PowerFlor, a subsidiary company of Ciccolella Holding (a European leader in floriculture) and part owned by Ital Green Energy. The current project envisages the building of a combined heat and power station with two generators providing total power output of around
116 MW (already at an advanced stage of construction)39. The power station will be fired by liquid biomass (vegetable oils) and will be used primarily for greenhouse heating (district heating), as well as for
electricity production.
A particularly interesting business initiative is the one embarked upon recently by MS Costruzioni. The
firm has developed a project that will exploit the energy potential of waste from the farming and livestock
rearing sectors in Apulia in association with SYNECO, a consultancy firm based in Bolzano which has
operated in the field of renewable energy and the environment for several years, with particular reference
to biogas – it is partner-coordinator of the Centro di Competenza Alpi Biogas (a centre of biogas expertise) – and with the TIS Centre in Bolzano. The primary goal of the project in question, which involves the
processing of olive and grape residues and other biomass residues from industrial livestock rearing, is
to achieve integration with the Salento region’s developed agricultural sectors, and will enable the related production cycles to be closed. The attention of the project is directed mainly towards the oil-producing sector, since it involves a series of residue flows which until now have been difficult to manage.
The project aims to offer a solution that is sustainable from an environmental point of view for the management of olive residues and vegetation waters, so that they can be reused in agriculture (digested),
and exploitation for energy through anaerobic digestion for the production of biogas to be used in combined heat and power plants equipped with internal combustion engines40. The plant will be created
using the best possible techniques in the field of anaerobic digestion of biomass with high organic content. In addition the project has been proposed to one of the largest associations of olive growers in the
province of Lecce (APROL) which has shown its willingness to support the project and to set up a consortium for the purpose of supplying biomass to the plant.
39
It should be noted that with regard to the building of this plant discussions are in progress between the local community, which is not in favour of the installation, and the firm.
40
A technological option which might be tested at a future date is one which would inject biogas, suitably treated beforehand, directly into the natural gas distribution network, if within the Italian system the possibility of providing incentives for production of bio-fuels from renewable sources is understood and recognised.
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6.1 The biomass sector: design and building of plants, research activities and provision of other services
There are several firms that have introduced interesting innovations in the agri-energy field.
RASA Realtur is registered on the National Research Register (Anagrafe Nazionale delle Ricerche) and is
a member of the Association of External Laboratories accredited as having a high degree of expertise.
It operates in collaboration with public research centres (CNR, ENEA, INN, CRA and CIRP – the Regional
Inter-University Consortium of Apulia), with Italian universities and with several European Union bodies.
With regard to innovations implemented in the energy sector, we would mention: (i) perfection and optimisation of biomass-to-ethanol production processes (“Energetica 1” and “Energetica 2” managed by
CNR and ENEA); (ii) conversion into ethanol of surplus alcoholic by-products from wine production (partners: DG6, DG12, the Department of Agriculture, AIMA); (iii) perfection of a poly-fuel boiler fired by agricultural surpluses in Apulia. At the moment studies regarding the exploitation of separated biomass for
energy use are underway.
With regard to the Castello di Monteserico Group, innovations concern: (i) the introduction of non-food cultivation with high energy yield and related research into best cultivation and mechanisation practices; (ii) anaerobic digestion processes with greater energy return (up to 10% higher production of biogas in comparison
with technologies available on the market); (iii) a system for exploiting agricultural fertiliser obtained from
anaerobic digestion; (iv) a low-cost process for treating vegetation waters. The firm is also engaged in matters
relating to the exploitation of straw for the combined production of cellulose, decontaminant enzymes and
substrate for the production of electrical and heat energy through an anaerobic digestion process and tri-generation; and in the processing of whey to enable it both to be used for energy purposes and to seek a solution to the environmental problems relating to its disposal. It is working together with Metapontum Agrobios
(a company specialising in research and experimentation in agrobiotechnologies) and with the Faculty of Agricultural Science at the University of Bari. In addition the group is part of a vast network of international partnerships (including research centres in Turkey, Canada and Germany).
4nrg’s activities have produced a patent for a fixed-bed, “tar-free” gasification process for dry and humid
virgin wood biomass, with the consequent potential for tri-generation using a removable plant that can
be transported on a vehicle. Other innovations concern gasification and combustion (of the fluid-bed
type) of plant biomass, including humid biomass, producing industrial steam and heat; wood-gas-fired
internal combustion motor design and dual fuel pilot injection; and the integration of multi-energy systems (on which the company is still working)41. It has partnerships in progress with the Faculty of Agricultural Science at the Università degli Studi della Basilicata, the Department of Economic, Management
and Social Sciences at the University of Molise, and the Industrial Chemistry Section of the Department
of Chemistry at the University of Sassari.
Pelco conducts research in the field of anaerobic digestion and the use of biogas produced in hybrid
combined heat and power plants (solar and renewable fuels), currently in the experimental stage. It has
filed a patent application for the extraction of olive oil by crushing for energy-efficient coalescence and
absorption.
Recently Socoges set up an internal research and innovation department centred around projects for
the development of engines running on alternative fuels (including biogas and biodiesel). In this area it
41
4nrg is setting up an initiative entitled REESCO - Renewable Energy Service Company, i.e. a franchising network for companies producing and distributing sustainable energy from the integration of micro-cogeneration, micro-wind and photovoltaic systems.
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is working on a project for the development of an integrated “gasifier-engine” for exploiting the energy
potential of lignocellulose biomass on a small scale using a combined heat and power generation scheme
(funded under the innovation and technology programmes/PIT). It is working jointly with the University
of Salento.
Keinstar Associates specialises in designing biomass-based plants fired by agricultural waste and straw,
wood chippings and/or pellets for combined heat and power plants. It also carries out feasibility and assessment studies regarding agri-energy chains for the combined production of electricity and heating
from biomass (from farming and forestry) and industrial research studies regarding the integration of renewable energy sources into the manufacturing cycles of firms in the food industry. Keinstar Associates
works together with the Department of Environmental Engineering and Sustainable Development at the
Politecnico di Bari on the achievement of energy savings in production cycles and the integration of renewable energy sources into the manufacturing cycles of small and medium-sized food firms in the Apulia region (projects funded under the POR Apulia 2000-2006 scheme with a duration of 18 months).
There are, in addition, firms engaged in consultancy activities: CoGe Engineering offers preliminary energy analysis and advises on the design and building of energy systems in the sector of distributed multi-generation42;
CSD specialises in the development of electrical power stations fired by renewable energy sources and feasibility studies for the creation of gramineous and tropical crops for the production of vegetable oils for power
stations or biodiesel production; Occhilupo&Partners provides design and construction projects for plants
fired by renewable energy sources (it currently has projects for the reutilisation of biomass and geothermal
energy applied to wine-producing factories in Apulia); finally, Ambienteitalia (Bari section) focuses on various
aspects connected to the evaluation and development of projects in the energy sector (in particular with regard to energy generation from biomass, high-efficiency combined heating and electrical power generation
and the development of software as an aid to improving the energy efficiency of companies).
With regard to research activities, STC has an IUR-accredited laboratory. It offers advanced research and development, technology transfer and engineering services to companies in the chemicals, energy/environment
and food industries. The innovative aspect of STC’s activities principally concerns the biomass sector: a purification process for natural gases and biogases containing hydrogen sulphide for energy use; a desiccation
process for plant-derived products using heat pumps. STC is currently in charge of the building of a prototype
system for the production of energy using a solar thermal system. In addition, it is engaged in a high-efficiency process for the production of biogas from biomass. Its main joint projects are with the University of Salento, the University of Catania, the Politecnico di Bari, CNR in Catania, VeneziaTecnologie (Mestre), Vesta
(Venice), and Turboden (Brescia).
42
CoGe Engineering has submitted a project to the “Industria 2015” initiative to extend its range of units for power generation using wood-derived biomass. If successful,
it may also embark on a production stage in Apulia. It has joint projects underway with the Energy Biomass and Environmental Technologies Department in Bari, the Faculty of Agricultural Science at the University of Foggia and the Politecnico di Bari (the Department of Mechanical Engineering and Management and the Department of
Electrical and Electronic Engineering).
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Box 2 - The Italgest Integrated Energy Pole
The Italgest Group, with registered offices in Melissano, in the province of Lecce, and offices in several regions in Italy as well as Spain and Mexico, is structured into three divisions: Italgest Energia, Italgest Immobiliare and Italgest Servizi. Italgest Energia is developing an integrated pole for renewable energy and
for energy saving which will be, according to the company’s documents, one of the largest integrated energy
poles in the world, requiring a total investment of more than 450 million euros spread over three years
(2007-2009) and over 280 MW of installed power. The Pole, whose projects will mostly be concentrated in
the Salento region, envisages the integration of solar, wind and agri-energy electrical power plants, as well
as actions directed towards energy saving and spreading awareness regarding renewable energy sources.
The project has already received the support of the Region of Puglia with regard to the drawing-up and
promotion of its guidelines, while the Lecce provincial authority has an active role through the Provincial
Energy Agency. The environmental association Legambiente is the initiative’s sponsor.
With regard to photovoltaics, the building of an 11MW power station (Helios) is planned, for a total investment of 85 million euros, over a 29 hectare area, formerly the site of Petrolchimico (Brindisi), a highly polluted zone which will be reclaimed and transformed. Output is planned to be 16 GWh per year. Another
project planned is the production in loco of photovolFigure 4 - Location of the industrial projects
taic panels for the power station, for which agreeof the Integrated Energy Pole
ments have already been made with Siemens. Project
data indicate 35 working units to be employed during
the first two years from project start-up in order to
build the power station and 10 units to be employed
when it is fully operational. With regard to agri-energy,
two power stations are planned (Heliantos1 and Heliantos2). Both will use a combined cycle, fired by vegetable oils (sunflower), and will have an output of 25
MW each. The two power stations will be located in the
industrial zones of Lecce and Casarano (on the former
site of the Filanto factories). Also within the scope of
this initiative, a supply agreement has been signed
with Coldiretti to establish a protocol for the transformation of over 20,000 hectares of land from tobacco
to sunflower cultivation. To obtain the sunflower oil it is planned to use the local olive pressing plants which
are idle for most of the year.
Finally, with regard to wind power, the project envisages the building of 4 plants: two in the Salento region
area. One of 45 MW in Torre Santa Susanna (province of Brindisi) and one of 62 MW in Nardò (province of
Lecce), where Italgest has taken over planning permission already granted, as well as two in the province
of Foggia (Bovino, 64 MW and Panni, 50 MW), for a total of over 220 MW.
With ENEL an agreement is being drawn up with regard to activities in support of energy saving. The agreement envisages the installation of photovoltaic systems on public buildings and plans to bring them into
line with regulations concerning the energy efficiency of buildings.
As secondary actions, the following initiatives are planned: a research centre to be located at the “Research Citadel” in Brindisi-Mesagne; a communication and training centre (a Mediterranean professional training school for renewable energy sources aimed at public administrations and a technical training centre)
in Melissano, in collaboration with the University of Salento; and development – using a new technology –
of a web TV and satellite channel entirely dedicated to sustainable development themes, in partnership with
Confindustria Salento. In addition to the agreements made with Siemens, there are others, such as with Fata
(Finmeccanica Group) and Vestas.
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Chapter 7 - Energy efficiency and sustainable building practices
The term “energy saving” or “energy efficiency” indicates the totality of interventions upon energy systems, plants, facilities, components and materials that are directed towards reducing energy consumption, “energy services” supplied to the end user being equal43.
An area in which it is very important to take action concerns the reclaiming and transformation of existing
housing stock, given the rapidly growing demand for such work encouraged, among other things, by recent tax incentives such as those contained in the most recent Finance Laws44.
Reclaiming and transforming the housing stock is an activity characterised by significant complexity and
high cost when interventions are on a very large scale. This being the case, it would seem reasonable to
posit selective property transformation measures. To strengthen the role of such initiatives as illustrative models, it would be helpful to begin with public buildings and complexes, with priorities to be established among buildings such as schools, museums, hospitals, IACP properties, council accommodation
and administrative offices, while devoting special attention to specific aspects of certain local contexts
(such as, for example, urban areas characterised by high concentrations of airborne pollutants).
In terms of energy generation solutions for buildings, while the advantages of solar thermal or photovoltaic technology seem indisputable, there do not seem to be realistic spaces for wind power. Measures to reclaim and
transform buildings above all regard buildings for collective use more than for residential properties, essentially
because such a choice offers wider margins for recouping energy efficiency. The consensus opinion is that the
building (equipped with solar collectors) should be placed within an energy network based on renewable energy
sources and with the capacity to integrate micro-generation, combined heat and electricity generation and district heating (what is known as a “power park”; see Box 3).
Another trend to be exploited is that of closing the life cycle of building debris through processes that encourage its reutilisation and recovery, with disposal only at the end of its life.
An additional element concerns the need to develop the activities of Energy Service Companies (ESCos)
in offering integrated energy consulting services. The situation in Apulia is in fact extremely fragmented.
It would be better to distinguish the role of agencies at the project stage, where it is necessary to fund
extra development costs, and the replication stage, where ESCos have the role of guaranteeing that the
investment is recouped. From this viewpoint, the possibility of setting up public - private ESCos, by providing opportune public guarantees since the ESCo takes on the payback risk (for more details about the
activities of ESCos, refer to Box 4).
In the sector of eco-compatible building (known as ecobuilding) we should highlight the need to make
an effort to coordinate town planning tools on a local level. As the issue is pre-eminently a local one, it
may be helpful to define intervention tools that are local in nature: for example planning permission
might be given on condition that the best technologies are used. It is often difficult to persuade the
43
Although the concepts of energy saving and energy efficiency both translate into a reduction in consumption in practice, in the latter case one does not give up
doing something but strives to do it in the best possible way.
The 2007 Finance Law (Law no. 296 of 27 December 2006) introduced significant tax breaks for taxpayers who meet costs for such purposes. The incentives regard, in particular, the cost of reducing energy demands (for heating, cooling, ventilation and lighting); heating-related improvements to the building (windows, including frames, insulation and floors); installation of solar panels; and substitution of winter heating systems. The Finance Law for 2008 (Law no. 244 of 24 December
2007) has extended the 55% tax deductions for energy efficiency improvements to buildings introduced by the 2007 Finance Bill to 31 December 2010. The 55% tax
deduction also applies to the cost of entirely or partially replacing non-condensation winter heating systems if it is met by 31 December 2009.
44
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buyer of the economic advantage of a bio-compatible solution given the absence of a track record against
which to measure such innovation: to obviate such a shortcoming it would be helpful to provide energy
and environmental certification for planned buildings, with reference to energy and water supplies.
Box 3 - Power parks
The term “power park” indicates a framework that integrates property features and equipment with the resources of information technology, energy and bio-compatible building practices.
In a power park, or “energy district”, local authorities, public organisations and enterprises interact in order
to achieve maximum energy savings through networked distribution of both conventional and renewable
energy sources: from distributed micro-generation for producing energy for heating and cooling, to intelligent energy consumption thanks to information technologies, use of materials capable of improving the
energy efficiency and saving of buildings, correct dimensioning of interior spaces and the recovery of waste
and sewage water.
The main aim of the power park is to provide services of high efficiency, made possible thanks to a diversified portfolio of energy sources. Its central element is an information system that optimises energy consumption. Users may be nodal facilities (such as railway stations, airports and logistics centres), residential
neighbourhoods or facilities providing services (such as offices, shopping centres, hospitals, schools, large
hotels and research centres), with simultaneous electricity and heating energy demands.
One strength of the “power park” solution lies in its flexible organisation, adaptable to the characteristics
of the local area, to environmental conditions and to user profiles.
One of the renewable energy sources that seem most suitable for the purposes of supplying a civil energy
district is certainly photovoltaic energy, which is innovative in a number of ways, including architectural integration with existing buildings, reduction of energy consumption of buildings and multifunctionality. Another energy source of relevance to a civil energy district is solar thermal, especially when combined with heat
pumps capable of obtaining “cold” from the sun during summer months (solar cooling) and heat during the
winter. Solar cooling stands out as an innovative technology that holds great promise for Puglia. Studies
show, in fact, that Puglia, together with Lazio, is the area in Italy that would allow the shortest payback period, thanks to its favourable climate characterised by a high direct solar radiation factor and its balanced
summer heating and winter cooling requirements.
Generally speaking, power parks offer the advantage of rendering renewable energy sources competitive,
in terms of their net internal energy profitability, thanks to the high level of integration achieved within the
district between micro-generation, usership (buildings, heating or electricity requirements) and the main
natural assets of the area (sun, wind, biomass and temperature). The less developed the power grid, the
greater the economic interest in integrated energy districts, as in this case economic and energy resource
savings are maximised.
One of the critical aspects to point out concerns district planning, which is complicated by the number interested parties and places in which decisions are taken, as well as uncertainty in estimating payback times
for the investment.
State intervention may be desirable in order to create a mechanism for funding power park research and
development in order to showcase the technologies that would be used.
In the field of energy efficiency, Apulia is home to firms that have developed diversified competences in
various fields. In particular there are major industrial enterprises, including a number of multinationals,
which are engaged in developing high-efficiency products (for example manufacturers of air conditioning
systems with high energy efficiency; firms specialising in high-efficiency cogeneration, trigeneration and
quadrigeneration; manufacturers of building materials with specific thermal, structural, aesthetic and
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acoustic characteristics; and firms focused on improving the energy efficiency of lighting systems; and
producing energy consumption monitoring systems).
Fantini Scianatico, a market leader in the production and marketing of wall bricks and structural components for flooring, has introduced several innovative products with regard to energy efficiency, soundproofing, heat insulation and safety.
Box 4 – The activities of the ESCos (Energy Service Companies)
Energy Service Companies or ESCos are subjects organised in the form of a company that carry out interventions to reorganise production and/or management systems, or offer energy consulting services for
the purposes of increasing energy efficiency with services to end users remaining equal. Savings obtained
in this way are used to pay back the initial investment costs.
Typically an ESCo assesses a client’s energy bill and measures the potential for savings and steps necessary to achieve them. If the margin for saving is sufficiently large, the ESCo may finance the works, and
take responsibility for maintenance and general management, either directly or contracting out the work
in its turn, for the entire duration of the agreement, usually of between five and ten years. This mechanism,
also known as “third-party financing”, can be very flexible: the savings obtained and the risks of the investment can be shared variably between the client and the ESCo. The advantages for the client derive from
reduced financial commitment, limitation of investment risks and freedom from problems connected to
management. Critical aspects on the other hand lie in the complexity of contracts and the consequent need
to draw up adequate technical and economic specifications. The terms of the contract must ensure that the
intervention carried out is truly efficient and technically valid, and must also take into consideration trends
in the market for energy carriers and technologies, and that there is an adequate return for the ESCo or distributor. There is, therefore, a minimum economic scale for interventions below which it would make no
sense to make use of such mechanisms.
In accordance with the Decrees of July 2004 which set out progressive energy saving requirements, the Regulatory Authority for Electricity and Gas has drawn up a list which includes subjects that satisfy specific
requirements and which have obtained the Authority’s approval with regard to at least one verification and
certification requirement for energy savings achieved through projects implemented within the framework
of the abovementioned decrees (http://www.autorita.energia.it/cgi-bin/elenco_rep_public?OPERAtion=6).
The list includes three accredited ESCos based in Puglia: ESCOnet in Lecce, Ital Green Energy in Monopoli
(province of Bari) and Watt Verde in Foggia. In any case, the list should not be considered exhaustive, insofar as it only includes companies with specific requisites. Three ESCos have been identified in the project’s census of the sector: Keinstar Associates; Sangalli Energy ESCo, which belongs to the Sangalli Group
and was set up essentially as a company to reduce the energy costs of Manfredonia Vetro, a group company; and ICMEA.
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The table below provides some information in brief about firms operating in the energy efficiency and
sustainable building sector in Apulia which were recorded in the project’s census of the sector.
Table 13 - Firms operating in the energy efficiency and sustainable building sector in Apulia
Location
Main headquarters
Turnover1
(in millions
of euros)
Cofathec Servizi
Roma
Foggia, Bari, Lecce
348,92
n.d.
1985
Fantini Scianatico SpA
Bari
Candela (FG),
Foggia, Lucera (FG),
Montemesola (TA)
190,0
54
2002
Osram Sud SpA
Modugno (BA)
44,53
264
1972
Thermocold Costruzioni srl
Modugno (BA)
15,6
83
1988
Emitech srl
Corato (BA)
0,5
11
2004
2005
Firm
Molfetta (BA)
Employees
in Apulia 1
Year
founded
dT srl
Trani (BA)
0,2
4
Keinstar Associates srl
Taranto
0,0
4
2005
Ingegneria e Servizi
Cerignola (FG)
0,0
5
2004
Sangalli Energy ESCo srl
Monte Sant’Angelo (FG)
n.d.
1
2007
ICMEA srl
Corato (BA)
n.d.
4
2006
Power2PMI
Bari
n.d.
2
2007
CoGe Engineering srl
Bari
n.d.
3
2006
1
2
3
Source: ARTI
Fantini Scianatico was created from the merger of two previous industrial firms, Ala Fantini and Laterificio Pugliese. The company is a market leader in the manufacture and sale of wall bricks and structural
components for floors. It has factories located all across central and southern Italy, as well as abroad (in
Spain and Serbia). Over time it has introduced innovative products in terms of energy efficiency, safety,
soundproofing and heat insulation, in addition to implementing manufacturing processes that make it
possible to reduce carbon dioxide emissions. The company has set up an internal laboratory, currently
under development, for research and development work on materials, building components and building
design and work for the purpose of optimising energy parameters, both during the production stage
and under normal conditions of use by the end user. It has recently concluded a project co-funded by the
MUR involving the development of products with specific thermal, structural, aesthetic and acoustic
characteristics which are now to be put into production on an industrial scale. It also has a new project
underway, which was also submitted for consideration to “Industria 2015”, and is directed towards the
development of a high-energy-efficiency building designed specifically for the Mediterranean climate, in
which the greatest energy expenditure is concentrated in the summer months (cooling) rather than the
winter months (heating). The project has been conceived so that it regards not only the development of
new materials for the various parts of the building, but also the design of innovative wall systems and
the development of ad hoc software. Several scientific partners from Apulia and beyond are involved in
this initiative: the Department of Architecture and Town Planning and the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the Politecnico di Bari, the Department of Structural Engineering at the University of Pisa, CNR-IRTEC in Faenza, the Politecnico di Milano and Andil (the National Association of
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Brick Manufacturers), CR Soft in Vicenza and CETMA. It also has a broad network of industrial partners:
Costruzioni Solari and the window frame manufacturer Nurith in Ginosa (province of Taranto), the TECNOPROVE laboratory in Ostuni (province of Brindisi) and Renergies Italia in Macerata.
Osram, a company of the Siemens Group, is one of the world’s largest producers of lighting systems, with
a turnover worldwide of around 4.3 billion euros and 49 manufacturing sites in 19 countries. In Italy
Osram is based in Milan and has two sites manufacturing electronic power supply units, LED modules
and fluorescent lights in Treviso and in the province of Bari, where 7 diversified production lines are located45. In addition to specialising in light production, the Bari factory has a research centre, supported
by a design centre, whose activities focus on improving the energy efficiency of lighting systems. 8 people are employed at the research centre46.
Thermocold Costruzioni specialises in designing and building air conditioning, refrigeration and climate
control units for civil and industrial applications47. Over the years the company has also been dedicated
to research and development and has filed a patent application for high-efficiency air conditioning systems: an air conditioning system with total heat recovery and optimised circuit; a four-pipe high-efficiency air conditioning system; and HCS (Hybrid Smart Cooling). Thermocold Costruzioni’s current
activities in terms of innovation regard, in particular, the development of high-efficiency cooling units
through the implementation of control logics and innovative cycles. Thermocold Costruzioni has joint
projects with the Università degli Studi del Salento and with STIM Engineering, an industrial design and
consulting firm in Bari.
Mention should also be made of the work of Emitech, a firm specialising in the production of microwave
devices in reverberating environments for industrial uses. With regard to the area of efficiency, it is developing an innovative phytosanitary treatment for instruments used for energy-efficient wooden packaging.
7.1 The energy efficiency sector: energy service providers
There are several companies which specialise in supplying energy services.
Cofathec, of the Gaz de France Group, is a European leader in facility management and supply of energy
services. It has a presence in Italy through 5 companies, including Cofathec Servizi, which specialises
in heat management and facility management for clients with large-scale operations (industrial companies, hospitals and local administration authorities). Cofathec Servizi has three sites in Apulia (in Bari,
Foggia and Lecce).
dT operates in the field of energy consumption monitoring. The company is active in the information
and communication sector, and has developed a non-invasive system for reading utility meters that uses
microcameras with optical character recognition, accurate metering systems for electricity, water, gas and
telecommunications, data interpretation and period deviations and/or anomalies, and systems adjustment via external configuration commands.
45
In Apulia Osram has developed a large number of high-efficiency, high-performance products: such as high-voltage linear and circular lights, mainly for use in industrial and retail environments.
In particular Apulia was the site for the development and manufacture of the prototype of a new, high-power, high-efficiency light, requiring a development phase
of 4 years. Osram conducts its research in Apulia in close collaboration with other centres in the group (in Germany, the USA and Japan) and, secondarily, with the
Politecnico di Bari.
47
The company also has its own branches in Lombardy and Tuscany.
46
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Ingegneria e Servizi offers its services in the areas of design, feasibility studies, measuring, technical assistance and maintenance, plant management for electrical energy saving and safety in the workplace.
Power2PMI is a division of Power4You and offers services relating to integrated engineering for energy
saving. Together with other divisions in the group and in conjunction with a number of industrial partners
(small and medium-sized manufacturing firms in the southeast of the Bari region) it is set to embark on
research and development relating to electricity consumption monitoring systems. It is in fact developing
a monitoring system (hardware and software) in HTML format for communication on mobile devices.
Monitoring instruments can be implemented in any energy-consuming manufacturing environment (such
as the construction industry) and represent a complementary service for power plants fired primarily by
renewable energy sources, providing information in real time to control and optimise the operation of
the production plants themselves48. These plants can also be controlled remotely in order to support
the preventive and corrective maintenance service provided by the suppliers of the plants. They constitute a tool for supporting all energy saving and management actions.
CoGe Engineering is committed to expanding its range of high-efficiency cogeneration, trigeneration and
quadrigeneration plants with endothermic engines combined with absorption-based machines, powered by bio-fuels of biological and plant origin.
Box 5 - Hydrogen
Hydrogen is not a renewable energy source, but is instead an energy carrier, like electricity.
Hydrogen, as is well known, is the most abundant element in nature, but is rarely found in its elementary
state. To obtain it, it is generally extracted from compounds through the use of external energy sources. In
any case, processes of extraction from fossil fuels (pyrolysis, massification, reforming and partial oxidisation), using now-mature technologies, can cause pollution. This is why innovative extraction processes
with low environmental impact are being sought. One option is that of extracting hydrogen from water. The
process currently used, electrolysis, has zero environmental impact, but has the disadvantage of being
uneconomic as a result of the high costs of the energy required. In order to bring it about further advances
are required in technologies relating to storage, transport and final use, given the properties of hydrogen
(inflammability, extreme volatility and tendency to explode).
Important research activities into hydrogen are underway in Italy as elsewhere. One to mention is the PSICHE project (at the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia) which envisages placing in the atmosphere a
geostationary airship, on which photovoltaic panels would be placed to produce electrical energy. One application of the electrical energy produced would be the process of hydrolysis from which hydrogen and oxygen would be obtained, to be accumulated in a liquid or gaseous state.
There is keen interest in the idea, primarily due to the fact that the end use of hydrogen as a fuel in various
applications (such as vehicles) releases practically zero pollutants.
The three technologies on which experimental research is being conducted are:
- thermochemical processes with extraction from fossil fuels or biomass. This is already proven technology, but still presents problems connected to costs and the low percentage of hydrogen thus extracted. MIT
has a project called Plasmatron which uses plasma technology for extracting hydrogen from hydrocarbons
through reforming;
- photobiological technologies, still in the laboratory stage, which study the biological mechanisms of cer-
48
These instruments can cross-reference data from the production plants with consumption data from the production unit where they are installed in order of maximise the efficiency of the whole system.
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tain types of algae and bacteria which, under the action of sunlight, are capable of splitting water into hydrogen and oxygen;
- photoelectrochemical systems, which are also in the laboratory stage, in which optical energy is converted into chemical energy, not necessarily requiring any energy input from an external source, by means of
semiconductor electrodes positioned in photoelectrochemical cells. In this case the greatest difficulties,
aside from the considerable costs, are due to the low efficiency and deterioration of the conductors used.
One of the devices that make it possible to obtain a high electrical energy return from hydrogen used as a
fuel is the fuel cell (or battery). These cells (or batteries) are electrochemical devices which enable electrical energy to be generated directly from some types of reactants, essentially hydrogen and oxygen, without them creating combustion processes. The benefit of such a technology from an environmental
viewpoint would be fully achieved only when production comes through the use of renewable energy sources rather than fossil fuels. The most well-known application of these types of cell is for hydrogen cars,
but they are used also for mobile phones and power stations. To date, more mature technologies with lower
production costs (for example lithium batteries or internal combustion engines) have in point of fact delayed the adoption of such devices. These technologies, on the other hand, share the problems connected
to the use of hydrogen as an energy carrier: low density and high volatility, which then end in problems of
transport and storage. Attempts have been made to replace hydrogen with other fuels that have more desirable properties (such as methanol and formic acid). However, in this case the fields of application would
be diminished.
In Monopoli, in the province of Bari, in September 2006 H2U, the University of Hydrogen, was founded. It
is a not-for-profit association, currently being transformed into a public-private foundation, which was set
up to operate in training, education and research in connection with issues relating to energy efficiency, renewable energy and hydrogen. A “Hydrogen Citadel” is being set up on the University of Hydrogen’s to demonstrate hydrogen technologies and innovative technologies connected to the topic of renewable energy.
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Chapter 8 - Universities and research centres
Research in the renewable energy field is carried out at the four Public Universities in Apulia (the University of Bari, the Polytechnic of Bari, the University of Foggia and the University of Salento), but also
at both private (e.g. ENEL, FIAT, Ansaldo) and public research centres (like the ENEA centre in Brindisi
and the Bari office of the Institute of Construction Technologies of the CNR). Certain research projects,
as briefly discussed in previous paragraphs, are realised through collaboration between universities,
research centres and businesses.
Although it is difficult to make a precise classification, one can identify the research themes that the various university departments and research centres specialize in. As can be seen from table 13, the Faculty
of Agriculture of the University of Bari, as we would expect, is strongly oriented towards agro-energy, as
also the Department of Agro-Environmental Sciences, Chemistry and Plant Protection of the University
of Foggia. The researchers at the Polytechnic of Bari and the University of Salento have a more diversified field of research. Research into solar energy is included amongst these interesting fields: a particularly significant project that involves the Energy Environment Research Centre of the University of
Salento and the Institute for Micro-electronics and Micro-systems of the CNR, relates to the creation of
a laboratory centre specialised in research into innovative technical solutions for the realisation of hightemperature solar installations for the production of electrical energy using direct (from thermo-dynamic cycles) and indirect methods (via thermo-chemical processes for the production of hydrogen-rich
fuels).
The energy efficiency expertise in the building sector within the Institute of Construction Technologies
of the CNR are particularly important.
A further two fields where important research opportunities can open up and in which Apulia can claim
special skill, (in particular with the Laser Centre), relate to the application of sophisticated environmental
monitoring methods to the renewable resources cycle, in particular to biomass combustion and the use
of new technology for anemometric measuring with a better quality than the traditional methods, because such technology permits one to gather both intensity as well as wind direction in problematic places, such as in troughs.
Finally, the Advanced Biological Skills Centre has recently been established; at the Laboratory for “Fermentation, industrial enzymology and application to environmental and energy problems”, research is
in progress on the production of bio-fuels and the selection of oleaginous crops.
61
8. UNIVERSITIES AND RESEARCH CENTRES
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Table 14 – Researchers in Universities in Apulia involved in research connected to the renewable
energy and energy efficiency sector
Fields of research1
Researchers
Department/Centre
University of Bari
Department of Design
and Management of
Agro Zootechnical
& Forestry systems
Department of Science of Vegetable
Matter Production
Department of Biology and Plant Pathology
Department
of Chemistry
Total
Polytechnic of Bari
Department of Electrical
Technology & Electronics
Department of Mechanical Engineering and Management
Department of Environmental Engineering & Sustainable
Development
Total
Department of
Agro-Environmental Science,
Chemistry & Defence
Vegetale
Total
Engineering
Centre for Environmental Energy Research
Total
Prov.
of which
structured
Wind Solar
BA
16
6
*
BA
72
7
*
BA
32
3
*
BA
2
1
28
17
BA
17
10
*
BA
14
11
*
TA
9
6
*
40
27
14
9
14
9
LE
n.d.
n.d.
*
*
LE
68
11
*
*
68
11
FG
Energy
efficiency
Combustion
processes/
new fuels/
cogeneration
Other
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
1
The asterisks indicate the main research fields.
2
Number obtained from the Board of the Faculty of Agriculture of the University of Bari (2007).
Source: ARTI
62
Agro-energy/
Biomass
*
*
*
*
*
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The University of Bari
For more than 15 years, the Faculty of Agriculture has been involved in studies on crops for energy purposes (grain crops for biogas, oleaginous crops: brassica carinata, jatropha curcas and other second generation bio-fuels) and on defining suitable cultivation systems for implementation in the typical
productive systems of the Apulian territory.
In particular, the Department of Planning and Management of the Agro Zootechnical and Forestry systems
(PRO.GE.SA.) carries out research on the following subjects: (i) utilization of renewable energy sources for
distributed micro-generation, construction systems for the reduction of energy consumption, life-cycle assessment (LCA) of the structures for agriculture; management of the waste produced from zootechnical
breeding and from agribusiness; (ii) development of highly innovative plant and machinery, for oil-mills, cellars and cooling stations inter alia using eco-compatible technology; (iii) technologies for the exploitation
of energy from biomasses: supply chains, conversion plants and territorial analyses. Recently the Department was involved in an in-depth assessment of the problems associated with bio-energy in Apulia (a research project financed by the Department of Regional Forestry of Apulia) in which the following aspects
were analysed: the potential for the agricultural and forestry waste and energy crops which relate to Apulia; the costs of the biomasses under consideration, in different supply scenarios; the technical-economic
feasibility and the calculation of the environmental benefits arising from the conversion of energy supply
chains (small, medium and large scale).
In the Department of Plant Production Sciences49 (DSPV) the research topics tied to agri-energies are: (i) agronomic studies and assessment of the physiological, productive and qualitative characteristics of open-field
herbaceous and horticultural species for alimentary and non-alimentary uses, for energy production, as well
as for biocide and officinal uses; (ii) biology and production of herbaceous and shrubby species of the Mediterranean flora and C4 tropical grasses for use as eco-compatible forage, no food and soil protection of degraded mountain areas and orchards; (iii) study of the adaptation and production in the Mediterranean
environment of new oleaginous species for diversified uses: food, dietetic and energy; (iv) experimentation
on the amending function, in fruit cultivation, of compost derived from the biological purification of urban
water effluent; (v) analyses models, planning and management of the wood arboriculture plantations and for
the production of biomasses in the Mediterranean environment. In addition, the Department is involved in the
experimentation in the “Agro-energy District of Apulia-Basilicata” i.e. the experimentation in oleaginous energy
crops on 150 hectares of land, a project promoted by an agricultural cooperative of Gravina di Apulia, the Silvium Giovanni XXIII that has more than 750 members located throughout Apulia and Basilicata50.
In the Department of Biology and Plant Pathology there are researchers involved in research themes that can
be linked back to renewable energy: anatomy, morphology and morphogenesis in algae and vascular plants;
cultivation of marine algae for the production of biomasses and environmental purification; taxonomy and ecophysiology of marine macro-algae.
Again at the University of Bari, in the Department of Chemistry of the Faculty of Science, there are inter alia
two lines of research with an impact on renewable energy: (i) methodologies for assessing the environmental sustainability of the installations for the production of alternate source energy; (ii) proposals for drafting
the Integrated Municipal Energy Plan (PECI).
At the Department of Geographical and Commodity Sciences of the Faculty of Economics of the University of Bari research is in progress on the subject of biomasses, in particular bio-fuels, in addition to the
studies on the conversion of the factories and the economic convenience of such processes.
49
The Department is one of the promoters of the Regional Technical Table for bio-masses.
The project is directed at demonstrative activities of energy crops, on a business scale. In the first phase, after sowing the crops, analyses will be carried out on
the agro-industrial, energy-environmental and economic value of the initiative to identify the best techniques to develop the different supply chains (bio-diesel, bioethanol and bio-gas). Thereafter, via a feasibility study, the most suitable organisational model will be assessed to be inserted in a district context, to construct the
plant for the production and sale of energy to third parties. The project takes advantage of the support of an important local bank.
50
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Polytechnic of Bari
There are three departments that are involved in energy initiatives and projects.
The Department of Electrotechnics and Electronics (DEE) is mainly involved in projects in the field of wind and
solar energy and energy efficiency and in the analysis of problems tied to the transmission of electricity in a grid
system. As regards wind energy, the main projects are: optimisation of the energy conversion stage of a smallscale wind turbine; analysis of the influence on the electrical system of large-scale wind farms, with reference
to the temporary stability and the contribution to the short-circuit current in the grid transmission nodes; study
of the optimum configuration of the interconnection system to the national transmission grid and of the internal grid of large off-shore wind sites.
As far as solar energy is concerned: algorithms to survey the block functioning of the photovoltaic installation
in order to make it safer and more reliable; use of photovoltaic systems to solve problems of power quality
(compensation of tension gaps and harmonics); checking the performance of photovoltaic installations inserted in electrical energy distribution grids, with the objective of defining and implementing a control system to
adjust the tension in distribution grids where there is distributed generation; realisation of a control system to
optimise the electricity production from concentrated solar generators and analysis of the problems of interconnection with the grid.
In addition there are projects for the development of systems to optimise the extraction of energy from the renewable source and its conversion to make it useable by the consumers. The investigation is aimed at the development of converters for micro and mini wind farms and inverters for photovoltaic systems; study of energy
planning methodologies on a regional scale to optimise the contributions coming from the exploitation of renewable energy resources and the use of energy saving strategies and strategies to improve electrical efficiency; advanced technologies for the management and control of distributed generation systems (smart grids);
transport systems based on the use of hydrogen; optimisation of biomass installations.
A large part of the research is carried out in the field of projects financed with public funds (strategic plans, explorative projects of the Apulia Region and MUR financing) and by public and private companies, including:
AMGAS of Bari, CESI of Milan, the Jonica Impianti of Lizzano, Matrix of Conversano and Rienergia of Montemesola.
Some DEE researchers are involved in the activities of the Technical Committee on Renewable Energy Systems
of the Industrial Electronics Society of the IEEE51.
The Department of Mechanical and Management Engineering (DIMeG) carries out research on the subject of fluid-dynamic analyses and fluid-dynamic optimisation; it develops vanes for wind turbines in
composite materials; dewatering plants to protect the coast against erosion; machines to gather the
data for anemometric campaigns; projects on the optimisation of the oleaginous and sugary supply
chains. Included amongst the many projects conducted by the Department, as regards the combustion
processes and bio-fuels, there are: development of innovative carbon burners for new electricity generation installations with low CO2 emissions (project co-financed by the Ministry of Productive Activities
in conjunction with Ansaldo Caldaie of Gioia del Colle); development of innovative low-nox burners in
MILD combustion regime (Moderate and Intensive Low Oxygen Dilution) in steam generators (explorative project financed by the Apulia Region, in conjunction with Ansaldo Caldaie of Gioia del Colle); new
methodologies for control, analyses and diagnostics in the combustion processes using traditional and
new fuels (biodiesel and crude oil) in energy conversion systems (financing to set up a laboratory with
PON 2000-2006 funds and a MUR loan for the COFIN 2005 research programme in conjunction with the
University of Naples, Federico II, the University of Genoa, Ansaldo Caldaie and the Elasys research centre); optimization of the biodiesel supply chain in the productive reality and economy of Apulia (within
the scope of the PROBIO project of the Regional Board for Agro-industrial Resources, in conjunction with
the University of Bari); innovation of the traditional hot-galvanising process using an endothermic en51
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gine fuelled with bio-fuels in cogenerative arrangement for the heating of the furnace and the production of electricity (research on the proposal of the Forme Industriali of Modugno and co-financed within
the ambit of the Apulia 2000-2006 POR). In addition, in conjunction with the Ansaldo Caldaie Centre for
Combustion and the Environment, a post-burner with film-cooling was constructed, for combined plants
fueled with hydrogen mixtures. Thanks to two new elements and to the optimisation of the heat-fluiddynamics it was possible to construct the burner in bent plate and the residence times of the gases at
the high temperatures were reduced: together with the reburning phenomenon, this permits one to have
significantly lower NOx emissions compared to those measured at the turbo gas outlet. The burner was
developed within the ambit of a CLUSTER research programme and of explorative projects of the Apulia
Region; the burner was installed in Sicily in an important combined plant and was patented at a European Level.
In the field of energy efficiency and in the course of a joint project with Thermocold and STIM Engineering, within the ambit of the explorative projects financed by the Apulia Region to develop new devices
to improve the chilling machines for civil and industrial users, a project was completed to save diesel oil
on fishing boats. In addition, a prototype air cycle refrigeration plant (PRIN 2005) was constructed, for
large commercial structures and/or chilling cells, which allows one to eliminate the current coolants.
Finally, the Department is active in the wind sector and there are many projects in progress in this field: a laboratory and wind tunnel to study wind energy for experimenting on the scale models of wind turbines, inter
alia with a vertical axis (Darrieus) and to study the systems of generating electricity from the tides and from
the wave movement (project financed by MUR and Fondazione Caripuglia); new numerical-experimentational
methodologies to define wind sites (in conjunction with Vestas, an explorative project of the Apulia Region);
analysis of the stress on a wind-turbine vane in composite material; single-vane wind turbine with submerged pump: dewatering plant to protect the coast against erosion and for repasturing (in conjunction with OMC
of Corato financed with funds in terms of Law 598/94); machines for anemometric campaigns to collect data
(pre-feasibility study phase).
The Department of Environmental Engineering and Sustainable Development (DIASS) of the Faculty of
Engineering II of Taranto collaborates closely with the DIMeG of the Polytechnic of Bari. At the moment,
there are different projects in progress financed by the Apulia Region in the field of explorative projects:
- optimisation of the performance and reduction of the consumption of belt conveyors;
- new numerical-experimentational methodologies to define wind sites (in conjunction with Vestas);
- development of new burners in MILD combustion regime (in conjunction with Ansaldo Caldaie);
- optimization of the anaerobic digestion process of biomasses with bio-gas energy recovery (in conjunction with Progeva);
- checking the performance of photovoltaic systems inserted in electrical energy distribution grids (in
conjunction with Rienergia);
- autonomous & auto-controlled desalination plant fuelled by renewable energy (in conjunction with
Comes of Taranto).
There are two projects in the field of energy saving financed by the Apulia 2000-2006 POR Axis III, Measure 3.12. The first has as its object energy saving in small and medium-sized agroindustrial businesses
in Apulia. The second, once again directed at small to medium-sized businesses in the agroindustrial division, is aimed at integrating and substituting fossil energy sources with renewable energy sources in
the productive processes. Both projects are being realised in collaboration with Keinstar Associates.
In addition, a joint project is in progress with CSD of Conversano to develop a horizontal rotation wind
farm. Finally, DIASS has set up international collaboration with North American Research Institutes relating to integration of the renewable sources into the electricity system and in relation to the development of low environmental impact products.
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In the Department of Agro-Environmental, Chemical & Plant Protection Sciences (DiSACD) of the Faculty
of Agriculture the research relates to the field of agricultural production and the agro-energy supply
chains with particular emphasis on the subjects of production optimisation and technical rationalisation
relative to dedicated energy crops52; technical methods of energy exploitation of the refuse and agricultural and agro-industrial waste; assessment of the agro-environmental effects and the consequences
in terms of rural development relative to the realisation of local agro-energy supply chains; definition of
the zoning and territorial planning schemes relative to the establishment of agro-energy productive districts; assessment of the life-cycle of solid and liquid bio-fuels; techniques and methods of seizing the
carbon in the agro-forestry field. The main projects underway are: (i) energy exploitation of biomasses
and spreading of energy crops in the woody and agricultural areas of the Province of Foggia (financed
by Confindustria Foggia); (ii) local innovation platform, in particular, elaboration of sector studies on alternate energy to create sustainable agro-energy supply chains from the environmental point of view of
and appropriate to the different local contexts; (iii) bio-agronomic assessment of sorghum varieties in
order to obtain biomasses for energy; (iv) bio-agronomic assessment of sunflower varieties suitable for
the bio-diesel supply chain; (v) investigations relating to energy planning in the North Bari Orfanto Territorial Alliance area.
The research relating to the renewable energy sector is mainly conducted at the Department of Innovation Engineering (DII). The main innovations related to photovoltaic technology. The first area of research relates to
the standardisation of the technical specifications of the photovoltaic panels (there is the option for the user
to pre-set the output of the photovoltaic panel on the basis of his geographical location). The second research
topic concerns the output of the photovoltaic generators with the use of robotized systems (upto 35-40%).
These panels are not equipped with sensors that follow the sun but an electronic control unit containing the
coordinates of the geographical position in which it is situated. The prototype that has been constructed can
operate for 7 days without contact with the domestic electric grid and could already be made available for distribution on a commercial scale. At the moment the research is shifting towards the optimisation of such devices (study of the effects of solar radiation in the presence of obstacles that reduce the exposure of fixed
and robotized panels to sunlight; optimisation of the relationship between robotized movements and electronic management with the use of a potentiometric system). Other projects in progress relate to: new materials and methodologies for products in the renewable energy sector and nano-rectenna for the direct
high-efficiency conversion of sunlight into electricity (both projects financed within the sphere of strategic
projects of the Apulia Region); development of a calculation methodology for designing a trigeneration system,
use of nano-fluids to transmit heat and development of biphase turboexpansors to generate energy from renewable sources (the later financed within the scope of the explorative projects of the Apulia Region). Many
partnerships with other businesses have been established on the subject of energy (e.g. Costruzioni Solari,
Jonica Impianti, Italgest Ricerca).
The Environment Energy Research Centre (CREA) operates within the Department. The numerous research activities concentrate on subjects such as combustion, industrial processes, modelizing of diesel and petrol engines, optimisation of the performance of internal combustion engines, designing injection systems, analysis
of the combustion of alternative fuels and reduction of the polluting emissions. The centre has 7 laboratories.
52
Jatropha curcas is one of the crops being studied for the production of bio-diesel. It is hoped to convert the entire fleet of school buses of the Municipality of
Foggia on to this bio-fuel - the project was conceived as a visible demonstration.
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Box 6 - The projects that have been realised and that are in the process of being realised by the
Energy Environment Research Centre
Recently finalised projects
- Optimisation of the powertrain and of the control strategies of hybrid vehicles with a fuel cell
Construction of a prototype of a hybrid vehicle with a petrol engine with reduced dimensions fitted
with batteries that can be recycled from the electricity grid or via the fuel engine. Currently, more detailed models for the fuel cells are in the development phase and the control strategy on a model vehicle fuelled by hydrogen is being implemented.
- Geothermic exchangers
The project is aimed at numerically verifying, via a fluid-dynamic code, the real operating conditions
of the horizontal geothermic exchangers, installed in the South of Italy, throughout a full year (winter heating-summer cooling). The real operating temperatures and the related thermal flows were
analysed in order to assess the environmental impact and the economic advantages of this solution,
comparing it to traditional systems with water-air heat pumps (HP). In addition, cost-benefit analyses
were carried out in different scenarios to assess the convenience attached to both vertical as well as
horizontal heat exchangers. Studies are in progress on the application of ground heat exchangers to
be coupled to geothermic heat pumps.
- Tpv project
The purpose of the work was to construct a thermo-photovoltaic device based on a new high efficiency cell (Multi-Quantum-Well), capable of fuelling a vehicle with an electric propulsion engine,
when the energy reserve of the on-board battery is exhausted.
- SETE Project
The main objectives attained within the ambit of the project were: development of a micro-system with
negligible environmental impact to produce electrical energy, based on the combined use of different advanced technologies (solar, wind and thermo-photovoltaic) and the development of an automatic management and control system for the energy charges, both of the production as well as of
the utilisation systems. The data provided by the control system will be gathered in real time into a
database that allows one to check the quantity of energy produced for long-term monitoring. The
SETE system can be totally controlled on-line.
- Very high-efficiency heat exchangers
A regenerative-rotating exchanger of very high efficiency compact heat which is able to operate at
very high temperatures (exceeding 1,000 K) has been developed, for regeneration applications for
high temperature combustors. The heat recovery performs a strategic role in the combustion plant.
The heat exchanger is used to reduce the temperature of the exhaust gases, exploiting this thermal
energy to heat the intake air to the combustor, simultaneously reducing the consumption of fuel and
facilitating combustion.
- META project
META is one of the very first numerical methods capable of performing the analysis and computation
of the wind potential of the air concerned, by reconstructing the geomorphic characteristics and the
anemometric data, as well as considering all the meteorological and micro-meteorological variables
for the assessment and definition of the heat flow which – in the atmospheric strata limit – strongly
influences the wind farms. Its application allows one to reconstruct the distribution of wind farms in
a complex and extend area, permitting the identification of more favourable and potentially more
valid sites for the installation of the wind stations. The application of META also permits one to assess
the capacity to produce energy at higher altitudes, compared to the detection altitudes of common
anemometers. In addition it is possible to determine in an accurate manner the prevailing wind di-
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rection, necessary to determine the positioning of the individual wind turbines and to optimise the
layout of the wind farm being designed. A further aspect is that it offers the chance to be able to compute the extractable power. In addition with this system one is able to assess and visualise the meteorological conditions and how they change as the altitude increases. It can also be used as a means
of visualising and analysing the transportation of contaminants emitted.
- Energy auditing activities
This activity consists in an analysis of the demand for both electrical as well as thermal energy, in
order to forecast rationalisation hypotheses for the consumption of the company or the public body
under consideration. The first phase consists in carefully analysing the assets of the company or the
body (e.g. Municipality) under consideration. This phase represents a fundamental element to plan
extraordinary maintenance both on the buildings as well as on the plant, which will also be directed
at energy saving. This phase requires the compilation of a databank that allows one to monitor the
energy consumption of the different buildings, identifying the service “criticalities”. Certain indices
relating to the energy quality of the building itself are used to identify the energy service criticalities
of the building. This allows the following objectives to be obtained: highlight the trend in the energy
consumption recorded by every property; estimate the needs of the entire building complex, separated into buildings with similar uses or historically the same age; estimate the needs of each individual building (after a detailed description of such building); identify “criticalities” in the energy
services of the building or the building group making up the complex, by calculating energy-services
indices (on the thermal or electrical energy); prefigure appropriate guidelines for the development of
intervention strategies.
Projects in progress
- Cogeneration of heat energy and electricity with biomass fuelling
Construction of a plant prototype using an exterior combustion engine (Stirling). Extensions of thenumerical models developed for the study of combustion in traditional engines to engines fuelled
with bio-diesel and optimisation of the related combustion chamber.
- RECTENNA Project (Explorative project)
The system to be studied is composed of a solar concentrator, a system for the conversion of solar
radiation into infrared radiation, a matrix of optical-rectennas for the direct conversion of infrared radiation into electric current via an external load. The matrix is constructed from single elements, each
consisting of an antenna for the collection of electromagnetic radiation, some impedance matching
filters and a rectifying diode made of a multilayer of Metal/Insulator/Metal and or Metal/Oxide/Metal
(MIM, MOM). The concept of “rectifying antenna” (or rectenna) represents the true strategic and innovative character of the project which only recently has be re-evaluated for its use in the direct conversion of solar energy due to the significant progress made in nanotechnology. Only with the
development of nano-manufacturing processes is it possible to design and construct structures with
sizes of the order of nanometres, which are necessary for the tuning of the rectenna to the characteristic frequencies of the visible-infrared spectrum. The development of the device could have many
consequences and could be revolutionary in other application fields, such as: new optical sensors for
gases, light sensors for the Tera Hertz (THz), better harmonic frequency generators, microsystems.
- SOLAR Project
The project is concerned with the creation of a centre-laboratory specialised in the search for innovative technical solution for the construction of high temperature solar equipment for the direct production of electrical energy (using thermodynamic cycles) and indirectly (via thermo-chemical
processes for the production of fuels rich in hydrogen). The developed technologies will be usable
both in small plants (less than 1 MW, for diffuse micro generation) and in large scale plants. The main
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criticalities to be dealt with during the course of the project are: the optimisation and specialization
of the concentrators and solar receivers; technologies for the improvement of the performance and
operative life of the components; innovative heat conducting fluids; optimisation of the ideal output
of high temperature thermal solar energy (> 800°C), for direct electric energy production with single and combined thermodynamic cycles and for the production of hydrogen rich fuels using reversible
and irreversible thermo-chemical processes; medium (550°C) and high temperature (800°C) accumulation systems. Also involved in this project are the University of Catania (Department of Industrial and Mechanical Engineering), the CNR/IMM of Catania, Ansaldo Ricerche, Turboden, Costruzioni Solari, COG, the
Polytechnic of Bari (Department of Electrotechnics and Electronics), SHAP, STC, TCT. The project received
about 17 million Euros of public financing as a consequence of Law 297/1999.
- Steam compression heat pumps
A study of steam compression heat pumps with a low environmental impact. A study of the applications
of geothermal heat pumps within a research project financed by Law 297/99 in collaboration with Thermocold Costruzioni of Modugno (BA).
- Integrated gassifier-engine system for cogeneration (Project PIT)
A study of the system using small sized lignocellulose residues for cogeneration.
- Utilisation of sea algae for energy production
A study of the possible uses of algae for energy. In particular, the characteristics of the bio-oil obtained of the algae will be assessed and its potential use as an alternative fuel for diesel in internal combustion engines.
- Use of nano-fluids to transmit heat (Explorative project)
The project is concerned with the study of highly innovative heat carrying fluids based on the use of nanoparticles. The behaviour of such fluids is still not properly understood. The first studies conducted have
demonstrated that such fluids have very favourable heat transfer performance. If experimentally verified,
such characteristics could be used for technological and industrial applications.
- Energy saving in public and private buildings
The objective is to develop operational procedures, both in the design and in the verification of the energy
performance of buildings. The achievement of a significant energy saving starts with the design of the building shell and the equipment (dispersion minimisation), and continues with the use of renewable energy
and the correct management and maintenance of the equipment. The design phase is followed by a performance verification phase of a building, so as to guarantee compliance with the parameters prescribed
in the recent regulations on the energy certification of buildings. The CREA Centre has recently acquired an
infrared thermal camera to evaluate the dispersion and thermal bridges in buildings. The use of a thermal
camera for the evaluation of the real state of a building and the successive numeric simulations conducted on a fluid dynamics code have allowed the validation of the numeric model of the building and to proceed with successive numerical optimisations to identify the changes of the shell and equipment. The use
of the fluid dynamics code, together with a multi-objective analysis, enables one to identify the correct position of the equipment components (radiators, fan coils, etc.) to guarantee temperature uniformity and humidity within buildings.
- Other projects with applications in the wind sector
Analyses and assessment of sites earmarked for installation of wind turbines, in order to assess their
energy productivity. The analysis foresees an orographic and geomorphic reconstruction of the site, the geopositioning of the turbine and a productivity analysis of each of them. An aerodynamic optimisation of the
profile of the vane of the wind turbines with the aid of CFD calculation codes.
Recently, the Centro di Competenza per le Biologie Avanzate Biosistema53 [The Advanced Biological
Skills Centre] was formed, that carries out research and technology transfer with the objective of organising existing expertise of the public and private research entities that operate in the advanced bio-
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logy sector in Apulia, with those of other nodes of the network, ensuring multidisciplinary and complimentary scientific-technological expertise and equipment to enable the development of new processes54. In the field of integrated laboratories, relevant to the energy sector there is the laboratory for
“Fermentation, industrial enzymology and application to environmental and energy problems”, that provides a core of apparatus, methodologies and know-how to provide solutions to the problem of perfecting the validation and transfer, on an industrial scale, of new bio-processes. The main research in
progress, in relation to renewable energy at the departments referring to Biosistema Apulia is the production of second generation bio fuels (bio-ethanol) using a biotechnology conversion processes of a
lignocellulose biomass. In particular, the Skills Centre has active research lines focusing on (i) the enzymatic pre-treatment of the raw materials and (ii) the metabolic engineering of micro-organisms that
are able to efficiently ferment the sugars contained in cellulose and hemicellulose. Also, in collaboration
with ENEA (Renewable Source section of the Trisaia Centre), studies are being performed on a pilot plant
to determine the technological-economic feasibility of an industrial-scale energy production based on
a short production chain with crop residues and/or dedicated energy crops; selection of oleaginous
crops (sunflowers) using biotechnological approaches aiming to improve the composition of vegetable
oils to obtain second generation bio-fuels (bio-diesel). The research envisages the use of (i) molecular
markers to support breeding and (ii) innovative methodologies such as “Targeting Induced Local Lesions IN Genomes” (TILLING) that enables the creation of targeted changes using genetic transformation and/or mutagenesis. Currently, 10 structured researchers and 5 trainee researchers operate in this sector.
8.1 Public research entities
In Apulia there are two Institutes of the National Research Council (CNR) that are concerned with renewable energy and energy efficiency: the Institute for Construction Technologies (ITC) and the Institute
for Microelectronics and Microsystems (IMM).
The first, with head office in Bari, is engaged in applied research, certification, experimentation and training in the civil construction and tertiary sectors. The main activities of the researcher of the ITC including studying and experimenting with new building structures with a high functional and dimensional
flexibility and with a low environmental impact and the role of the construction sector in climatic change
(in both cases the projects are financed by MUR). The section of the ITC located in Bari is recognised as
a highly-qualified laboratory as defined by Law 46/82. In this context it performs non destructive building diagnostics55.
The Institute for Microelectronics and Microsystems (IMM), located in Lecce, is involved in various renewable energy projects, including: (i) a project financed by the European Union: THE REV - A thermo
photovoltaic power generator for hybrid electric vehicles; (ii) the SOLAR project (see box 6) within which
IMM is researching new fluids that could substitute the salts used by ENEA-ENEL at a similar plant in
Priolo; (iii) the RECTENNA project (see box 6). Other projects, in an embryonic phase, are concerned
with light sensors and new unconventional materials for photovoltaic energy.
53
The Skills Centre was approved by MUR with Decree No. 1765/RIC dated 19 November 2007. It is composed of an inter-regional network between the 6 Regions
ex Objective 1, whose principal node is in Sardinia-Sassari and the secondary node is in Apulia-Bari.
54
They are part of the public University Skills Centre (Bari and Salento) and Bioagromed of the University of Foggia, the Bari offices of many institutes of the CNR,
public-private research institutes and private companies.
55
Soon, the laboratory will be equipped to perform test for air permeability, light transmission and thermal resistance, as envisaged by the current regulations that
require an energy certification for window and door frames (UNI 10345/93).
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Table 15 – Researchers and public research centres in Apulia that are involved in research connected
to the renewable energy and energy efficiency sector
Fields of research1
Researchers
Department/Centre
Prov.
of which
structured
National Research Council (CNR)
Institute for Building
BA
6
6
echnologies
Institute for Microelectronics
LE
6
6
& Microsystems
Total
12
Council for Research & Experimentation in Agriculture (CRA)
Institute for Agronomical
Experimentation
BA
82
Wind Solar
Agro-energy/
Biomass
Energy
efficiency
Combustion
processes/
new fuels/
cogeneration
Other
*
*
8
*
New Technologies, Energy & Environment Institute (ENEA)
1
2
The Brindisi Research Centre
BR
8
8
*
Monte Aquilone Experimental Area
FG
8
8
*
*
*
The asterisks indicate the main area of the research activity.
Number obtained from the Board of the Faculty of Agriculture of the University of Bari (2007).
Source: ARTI
ENEA is present in Apulia with a research centre in Brindisi, at the Cittadella della Ricerca, and with an integrated energy consultancy centre in Bari.
The centre in Brindisi is mainly specialised in work on materials and research processes, but there is a group
active in the energy efficiency sector that is developing new projects (in the context of Area Vasta in Brindisi
and Taranto) and works to publicise the information on this theme throughout the territory. The activities will
be developed with the involvement of private and institutional entities. The AURE Project “Analysis of the rational use of energy and renewable sources in the province of Brindisi” is currently in progress. Furthermore,
the “Cittadella dell’Efficienza” project aims to create (at the Brindisi Centre) a demonstration area for the design and creation of “advanced energy districts” based on an optimal energy mix. The project will be among
the principal innovative activities that ENEA has planned for 200856. The University of Salento, the CETMA and
the Consorzio della Cittadella are also involved in the project. The project envisages an integrated network characterised by the following innovative elements: innovative eco-building (ground cooling, solar cooling and integrated photovoltaic field, advanced control and contextual energy requalification of other buildings);
vegetable oil regeneration network and excess steam heating plant (run using local production); multifunctional photovoltaic plant and experimental concentrator equipment; high-efficiency lighting equipment using
innovative components (LEDs) with the flow control connected to intelligent systems. The whole energy district
will be optimised on the basis of a dynamic model. To this end, the construction of a control station is envisaged for the supervision of the district with advanced control technology and inline optimisation.
The Monte Aquilone Experimental Area is an integral part of the Portici Centre. Here two sections of the Delphos system (Demonstration Electric Photovoltaic System) are in operation, as well as the demonstration and
experimentation station for small-medium sized photovoltaic equipment connected to the grid.
The Experimental Agronomic Institute of the National Council for Agricultural Research and Experimentation (CRA), with offices in Bari, is involved in agro-energy research, in particular of the suitability of the
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agricultural use of biomass coming from agro-industrial and bio-activator waste sources. There are eight
units working on these themes.
8.2 The public/private research centres
The Laser Center, a research and technological transfer centre, has expertise in the field of sensors and
combustion processes, environmental technologies, definition of prototypes and CO2 monitoring systems for combustion control57. As regards the renewable energy sector, the centre has expertise in environmental monitoring of fine dust (based on the so called Raman-Lidar technology, in which there is
an interaction between a laser and a chemical element) and the analysis of soil composition (based on
the LIBS monitoring system). The centre could also provide a relevant contribution to wind map integration: the Raman-Lidar technology, applied to exploitation of the doppler effect, could provide better
quality wind measurements with respect to traditional methods since it would permit the gathering of
not only intensity measurements but also the wind direction in troublesome areas, like troughs. The
Laser Centre works in conjunction with the Bari Polytechnic on anemometry studies.
Tecnopolis, is active in the energy-environment field, and is preparing, within a nationally financed programme, a new Territorial and Environmental Information System for the Apulia Region, i.e. an instrument
for territorial knowledge and governance, in such a way as to enable the programming of possible energy
chains58. In addition, included amongst the activities for promotion and technical assistance for starting up innovative businesses59, there is the eMergy Cluster, intended to construct clusters of industrial
and scientific expertise in the fields of energy conservation and alternative energy.
CETMA, a consortium with a mixed public-private capital, has specific skills in materials engineering, information engineering and industrial design60. It participates with ENEA in the project “Energy efficiency
and eco-building” that aims to develop and publicise energy efficiency technologies using a system methodology focused on an integrated energy district model61.
CESE (Public Services and Energy Research Centre) is very new: this is a consortium established with the
Bari Polytechnic, AMGAS of Bari and AMET of Trani. The objective of the consortium is to support two
companies with professional modernisation and the preparation of studies for the attainment of greater efficiency for energy services, environmental impact analysis, cost/benefit analysis and energy policy impact evaluations. The consortium also aims to promote and manage industrial research activities,
perform pre-competitive development and feasibility analysis, to promote and participate in national
and international research activities together with public entities and companies.
Finally, the activities of the Environmental Education Laboratories (LEA), is active in Apulia on a provincial basis62. The Environmental Education Laboratories are promotion centres for environmental information and education activities and coordinates the activities of In.F.E.A. (Environmental Information,
Training and Education) on a provincial level. The Environmental Education Laboratories, with an ongoing link with the Regional Coordination Centre performs mediates with the various institutions and
local communities.
56
Waiting to be approved by the Apulia Region.
For general information, visit the web site: http://www.centrolaser.it/.
For general information, visit the web site: http://www.tno.it/tecno_it/indici_it/index-tecno.htm.
59
In particular the initiative was born within the START UP and SPINTA projects co-financed by the Ministry of Economic Development and presented by Tecnopolois
CSATA and the IMPAT consortium (ENEA, University of Ferrara and Tecnopolis CSATA) respectively.
60
For general information visit the web site: http://www.cetma.it/default.aspx.
61
See box 3.
57
58
62
The laboratories were instituted by the respective provincial Councils from 1993.
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8.3 ENEL, Ansaldo, FIAT
The research done by ENEL is articulated at a company level in 4 operational units, consisting of a network of research centres, laboratories and experimental stations that are involved in five categories of
research: combustion; pollution reduction; diagnostics and automation; new generation systems; waste.
The Centre in Brindisi, located near the Federico II Power Station, has about 40 employees including researchers, technical specialists and technical assistants. The Centre has one “excellence Laboratory“
for the physical-chemical and biological characterisation of solid, liquid and gaseous effluents, and environmental matrices, and for the development and technological qualification of waste-based materials (cement, concrete, building products); as well as an experimental structure with pilot plant
equipment, normally used for the verification of processes developed in the laboratory63. The Brindisi
Centre is also involved in the field of energy generation from renewable sources. In particular, studies
are performed for the improvement and optimisation of the operational management of wind generation
equipment and the perfection of integrated processes for the transformation of lignocellulose and oleaginous biomasses into electric and thermal energy and bio fuels for transportation. The construction of
a system to demonstrate external combustion using a micro-turbine with a boiler burning wood chips (75
kW) and a system to demonstrate internal combustion using bio-oil/biodiesel (90 kW) is foreseen.
In the green-house gas reduction sector, the studies are centred above all on the capture of carbon dioxide and oxy-combustion. The researchers in Brindisi are busy with activities aimed at developing processes with amine-based absorbents to separate the CO2 from the combustion smoke of the power
station and then to use or store it definitively and safely.
Near the Federico II Power station in Brindisi, ENEL is planning the construction of a pilot station for the
post-combustion capture of carbon dioxide and a demonstration oxy-combustion plant of 50 MW thermal (about 20 MW electric)64.
One of the most innovative research activities is the study of the possibility of using CO2 of microalgae
and the production of bio fuels (biodiesel, ethanol, methane, hydrogen) or substances of commercial interest (intermediates, vitamins, dietary integrators, etc.). The construction of a 1 hectare farm is planned
in Brindisi for the cultivation of microalgae in panel based photo-reactors together with equipment for
the production of bio-diesel starting from the biomass produced. Other frontier research regards the
use of CO2 for the gasification of biomass and waste and the subsequent production of hydrocarbons,
and the transformation of CO2 into stable minerals. For the evaluation of these processes the construction of experimental laboratory equipment is planned in Brindisi.
As regards joint projects, the Centre in Brindisi has agreements with the University of Bari, the University of Salento and the Bari Polytechnic for research and training activities in the environment and environmental technologies sector, also providing apprenticeships and postgraduate orientation.
The CRIS research centre has its offices at the Ansaldo factory in Gioia del Colle where its activities include the study of clean combustion technologies and the reduction of emissions using experimental
equipment65. It is currently busy with research activities on distributed generation with reference to renewable energy. The research is concentrated on high-efficiency energy micro generation using agricultural and forestry biomasses using innovative gasification processes. Hydrogen is also generated from
these processes and then used in gas micro turbines.
63
The laboratory participates on a national and international level in an inter-laboratory meeting circuit and with the UNI and CEN standard groups on waste characterisation.
64
The storage method that ENEL has deemed suitable, in line with other European countries, is the injection into well known types of underground tank such as deep
salt pits. Identification of national sites suitable for this purpose is in progress with the collaboration with the National Institute of Geophysics and Vulcanology.
65
CRIS-Ansaldo (Innovative Research Consortium for the South) was conceived with the objective of creating research and experimentation infrastructure in Southern
Italy for the development of new products and processes in two of the sectors in which historically Ansaldo concentrated its production and research activities: energy and
transport. The consortium has two research centres, one in Naples, for the transport sector, and the other at Gioia del Colle, in the environment and combustion sector.
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A project is in progress in conjunction with ENEA (Trisaia) (financed in terms of Law 297/99) aimed at developing a cleaning and hydrogen enrichment process for the syngas produced from the standardization
of biomasses66. The centre will also participate in a high temperature thermal solar project (the Elioslab
project financed by MUR) together with ENEA, the University of Naples, Federico II (Department of Energy,
Applied Thermo-fluid-dynamics and Environment Conditioning), the Second University of Naples (Department of Aerospace Engineering and Mechanics) and Angelantoni Industrie. It is involved in another
thermal solar project with the University of Salento (see box 6). The consortium is also active in the field
of oxy-combustion.
The FIAT Research Centre is an “excellence centre” for the automotive sector and have offices throughout Italy. The centre in Bari, at Valenzano, is involved in the design, development and control of new
fuel injection systems, in particular for diesel engines and engines run on alternative fuels. It has performed a comparative assessment between different types of engine: hybrid engines; methane gas engines; low-emission engines (bio-fuels for built-up areas).
66
Syngas (derived from the English words synthetic gas) is a mixture of gases, mainly carbon monoxide. It can be used as a fuel, for electrical energy generation
(using a turbine and gas) and diesel cycle engines.
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Appendix 1 – Objectives of the Inter-regional Operational Plan
“Renewable energy and energy saving”
Axis I: The production of energy from renewable sources
Specific
POI objective
I . Promote &
experiment with
advanced forms of
integrated and supply
chain interventions
aimed at increasing
energy produced from
renewable sources
Result indicators
Contracts signed
pursuant to the
initiatives activated
(Biomass)
no.
Contribution to
achieving the target of
producing energy from
biomasses fixed by the
Convergence
Regions at 2015
%
(200
Megawatt /
240)
Total number of
persons employed as
a result of the biomass
interventions and technology applications
no.
3600
%
Increase in the energy
production
from geothermia in the
Convergence Area pursuant to the intervention
%
FER penetration on total
consumption of the
Minor islands and A.N.P
APPENDIX 1
%
%
POI operating
objectives
u.m.
Target
2015
Initiatives with supply
chain & integration
characteristics (Biomass)
no.
40
Installed power capacity
from biomass
in production chain
Megawatts
200
no.
15
Installed power from
solar thermal applic.
Thermal
Megawatts
3
Installed power from
photovoltaic applic
Megawatts
10
III. Identify & realise
experimental
interventions to amplify the Installed power from
geothermia
exploitable potential
of renewable energy
sources
Megawatts
35
no.
30
120
80 %
Increase the production
of heat from thermal
solar/ increase the
production of energy
from photovoltaic
applications as regards
the individual building
Program’s contribution
to achieving the
theoretical target
potential of new
geothermia fixed for
2020 at a national level.
75
u . m . 2015 Target
n.d.
I. Identify & realise
models of integrated/
supply chain intervention
for renewable
sources
Realisation
indicators
Production initiatives
for technologies & industrial
parts for the production
of energy
I. Promote & support
the use of the renewable
sources to save energy
in public buildings and
by public users or for
public uses
35 Megawatt/0
10 %
(30 Megawatt/300)
n.d.
IV. Define and realise
methods & programs aimed
at increasing the
Demonstrative programs
production of FER in
regions identified because
of their environmental
& natural value
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Axis II: Energy efficiency & optimisation of the system
Specific
POI objective
Result indicators
u . m . 2015 Target
no.
76
u.m.
Target
2015
New small
micro-businesses operating in
the energy services sector
no.
800
Innovative projects
for the production of technologies & parts for energy
efficiency
no
30
Example programs
on buildings
no.
200
Projects on buildings
of special importance & representational value
no.
4/8
II. Define & realize methods
&projects for energy
efficiency in the region
Demonstrational
programs
identified for their
environmental
& natural value
no.
30
Tele-heating
grid constructed
Km
60
Projects to boost and
adapt the transport grid
n.d.
n.d.
Sensitization
projects
no.
20
no.
6/8
no.
60
I . Identify & realize
integrated/supply chain
Intervention models for
energy efficiency
no
II. Reduce
the tangible &
intangible obstacles
that limit the increase
of the energy
production from
renewable
sources & energy
efficiency
Realisation
indicators
800
Number of
persons employed
Reduction in
consumption
(Kilowatt - m2/annum)
for each building
or device
POI operating
objectives
%.
800
35 - 40 %
Reduction in
consumption
(Kilowatt/m2
per annum)for each building or user
%
35 - 40 %
Increase
the population
reached by teleheating
programs in the
Convergence Areas
%
350.000 /
n.a.
Increase
accessibility to the grid
of the distributed generation
%
n.d.
Percentage of
businesses object of relief achieved by training
activities
%
70%
Percentage of the
Convergence
Provinces reached
by the projects
%
100%
Percentage
of Convergence
Municipalities
reached by the projects
%
60%
II. Experiment &
realize advanced forms
of interventions for energy
efficiency on buildings
and public users
IV. Boost & adapt
infrastructure
of the transportation
grid for diffusion
of the renewable
sources & of the small
& micro cogeneration
& the tele-heating
V. Improve knowledge,
skills & social acceptability
Procedural manuals/
as regards renewable
models
energy and
energy efficiency
Workshops/ seminars
realised
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Axis III: Technical support and accompanying actions
Result indicators
Minimum percentage
of the potential
receivers informed
about the projects
of the Program:
• public
administrators
& associations
• businesses
III. Improve
the efficiency
& quality
of the Program
Projects for operational
integration of the scheduled activities of the
POI with the POR activities & the
PON Research &
Competitiveness
Strengthening the strategic capacity & communication of the
Program
77
APPENDIX 1
u. m.
v.o. at
2015
80
In-depth
analysis of the
Studies of the potential
potential
on Multiregional /
exploitability
Regional / Provincial Base
for energy
purposes
no.
1/4/24
%
30
Strengthen the
directional and
managerial capacity of the
Program
Annual investigations
relating to qualitative and
quantitative aspects of
the program activities
no.
8
no.
4
Building a POI website
no.
1
no
3
no.
20
u. m.
%
v. o. at
2015
Operating
objectives
Axis III Realisation indicators
Specific objective
Department
of Environmental
Engineering
and Sustainable
Development (DIASS)
Strengthening
the strategic
capacity &
communication Communication actions
of the Program aimed atthe public (press,
radio, TV)
%
30
Realisation of guides and
multimedia
products
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Appendix 2 - Participation of the Apulian businesses,
Universities and Research Centres in regional public
tenders aimed at promoting innovation
Technological field
Project title
Brief description of the project
Businesses
involved
Universities & research
centres involved
Apulia Region - Strategic Projects
Energy efficiency
Wind/Solar
Smart-Grids:
advanced
technology
for public
services & energy
The project intends to show
the feasibility of controlling
the processes & in verifying
the advantages in terms
of optimisation, safety, and
managerial & energy efficiency
in the most efficient way compared to
traditional technology, thanks
to the Automation systems of the Distribution and to test them
on real distributing companies
- AMET Spa
(Trani)
- AMGAS SpA (Bari)
- 1200 srl
(Cellamare)
Materials & new
methodologies
for products
in the renewable
energy sector
The project aims to
develop materials, processes
of transforming and designing
new structural parts in composite
materials for small-calibre
wind generators and thermal
solar panels.
- Jonica
Impianti Società
Cooperativa (LizUniversity of Salento/
zano)
- Costruzioni Solari Department of Innovation
Engineering (DII)
Srl (Cavallino)
- Processi Speciali
Srl Unipersonale
(Brindisi)
The project aims to
design & produce a prototype
of a device for the high-efficiency
conversion of sunlight into
electricity with nano-processing
techniques.
-Edil.Cos. Srl
Lecce (Caprarica
di Lecce)
- Shap Saa. Solar University of Salento/
Heat and Power
Spa - Roma
Engineering (DII)
- Rizzo Costruzioni
di Rizzo Giampiero
& C. sas (Salice Salentino)
Nano-rectenna
for the direct
high-efficiency
conversion
of sunlight
into electricity
Solar
Polytechnic of Bari/
Department
of Electrotechnics
and Electronics (DEE)
Apulia Region - Explorative Projects
Energy efficiency
79
APPENDIX 2
The project aims to
develop theoretical models to identify, modelize and optimise the
Optimisation
energy sources lost in conveyor belt
of the performance transport systems. These models
- Metalblok srl
a reduction in the will enable a global model of the
(Taranto)
consumption in
energy consumption of a conveyor
conveyor belts
belt to be created. The end objective
is to introduce new technology into
conveyor belts, aimed at improving
the performance & energy efficiency.
Polytechnic of
Bari/Department
of Mechanical
and Management
Engineering (DIMEG)
– II Faculty of Taranto/
Department of Environmental Engineering
and Sustainable
Development (DIASS)
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Project title
Businesses
involved
centres involved
Energy efficiency
The project aims at developing
a new type of perforated brick block
Optimisation
to construct load-bearing walls.
of the mechanical &
- Laterificio
Owing to their special characterithermal
Pugliese SpA
stics the use of this type of brick
performance
(Bari)
gives a significant increase in the
of rectified bricks
thermal insulating power and mechanical properties.
Wind
The research project
proposes contributing to the analysis of wind site, both in relation to
New
the numerical simulation techninumerical-experi- ques as well as relative to the mementational metho- thodologies of experimental survey, - Vestas Italia
dologies to
generating a computational grid to srl (Taranto)
characterise wind analyse the accurate wind condisites
tions in the site via general use
codes. The research focuses on the
use of Lidar (“Light Detection And
Ranging”).
Combustion/new fuels/
cogeneration processes
The project intends
to develop a suitable burner to realise MILD (Moderate and Intensive
Low oxygen Dilution) combustion, in
Development
- Ansaldo
steam generators, via partial recyof a new LOW- NOX
Caldaie SpA (Gioia
cling of the burnt gases and/or using
burner with MILD
del Colle)
exhaust gas from a gas turbine. This
combustion
system will enable one to achieve
greater energy efficiency and an abatement of the harmful gas emissions.
80
The project intends to
Optimisation
tackle the chemical-physical, bioof the anaerobic di- chemical, microbiological & kinetic
- Progeva srl
gestion process of aspects characterising the different
(Laterza)
biomasses with bio- phases of anaerobic digestion (DA).
gas energy recovery The project intends to experiment
directly on a pilot scale with a DA
plant in the field.
Development of a
calculation methoThe project develops a
dology for designing
design methodology for
a low-cost & reduregeneration installations
ced polluting emis(energy, hot, cold) based
sions trigeneration
on low-power moto-alternators
system with the
(10-30 electrical kW).
possibility of recovery of the energy
waste
Polytechnic of Bari/
Department of Civil
& Environmental
Engineering (DICA)
Polytechnic of
Bari/ Department of Mechanical and Management Engineering (DIMEG)
– II Faculty of Taranto/ Department of Environmental
Engineering and Sustainable Development (DIASS)
Polytechnic of
Bari/ Department of Mechanical and Management Engineering (DIMEG)
– II Faculty of Taranto
/ Department of Environmental Engineering and Sustainable Development
(DIASS
Polytechnic of Bari II Faculty of Engineering Taranto/Department
of Environmental
Engineering and
Sustainable
Development (DIASS)
University
- Amc2
of the Salento/
Progetti
Department
e Prototipi Srl (Moof Innovation
nopoli)
Engineering (DII)
quaderno5B:Layout 1
4-11-2008
Technological field
12:01
Pagina 81
Project title
Businesses
involved
centres involved
Combustion/
new fuels/ cogeneration
processes
Development,
optimisation and
experimentation of
a post-burner prototype with a wide
control range & low
emissions, for cogenerative and
combined cycleplants
The project, exploiting
the results of previous experiences,
aims at developing a post-burner
- Ansaldo
with higher performance levels and
Caldaie SpA (Gioia
which is able to operate even with
del Colle)
hydrogen mixtures. The proposed
burner can also be used in combined generation plant.
Solar
The project aims to
assess the capacity of a photovoltaic
system interconnected with the distribution grid to contribute to the
Control of the
control of the grid tension. The conperformance of the
- Rienergia srl
trol that is sought to be
photovoltaic cells
(Montemesola)
implemented should be totally
inserted in an elecdecentralised. The project also
tricity distribution
envisages an experimentation
grid
phase on a real 10 kWp system
inserted in a micro-grid achieving
the practical construction of
a supervised prototype.
Solar
The project intends
to study very avant-garde thermovector fluids based on the use of
- Italgest
nano-particles, focusing on the
Applications of
study & characterisation of different Ricerca srl
nano-fluids for heat
typologies of nano-fluids in such a (Melissano)
transmission
way as to gain expertise for the various fields of application (energy,
heating and cooling plants, solar installations).
The research envisages
designing, production & prototype
management of an autonomous &
Autonomous &
auto-controlled desalination plant
auto-controlled
fuelled by renewable energy. For this
independent and
purpose a single effect distillation
Comes srl (TA)
auto-controlled deplant fuelled with new design solar
salination plant,
panels (solar roof, already available)
fuelled by renewa& photovoltaic cells for interior elecble energy
tricity consumption. The object is to
integrate the non-potable domestic
requirements in summer tourist resorts.
Solar
81
APPENDIX 2
Polytechnic of
Bari/ Department
of Mechanical and
Management
Engineering (DIMEG)
Polytechnic of Bari- II
Faculty of Engineering
Taranto/ Department
of Environmental
Engineering
and Sustainable
Development (DIASS)
University of
Salento/ Department
of Innovation
Engineering (DII)
Polytechnic of Bari Department
of Environmental
Engineering and
Sustainable Development
(DIASS)
quaderno5B:Layout 1
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Technological field
12:01
Pagina 82
Project title
Businesses
involved
centres involved
Horizontal research
The aim of the project s to
study with numeric methods the biDevelopment
phase turbines with existing
of biphase
reaction, and the feasibility
turbo-expansors
of turbines with a biphase flow
to generate energy
to generate electricity from
from renewable
renewable source, such
sources
as geothermic or solar sources
and for cogeneration purposes.
- Turboden srl
(Brescia)
- STIM
Engineering srl
(Bari)
University of Salento/
Engineering (DII)
PIT
Energy efficiency
Combustion/
new fuel/ cogeneration processes
Combustion/
new fuel/ cogeneration processes
The project envisages the
study, simulation and checking of
New devices
new exchange components to reato improve the
lise cooling machines, new fluids to
efficiency of the cooimprove heat exchange, of a cooling
ling machines for
machine that meet the energy-sacivil and
ving requirements of the tourist buindustrial users
sinesses and of a strategy to raise
the energy performance of cooling
machines for civil uses.
Integrated
"gasificator-motor"
system for the
energy exploitation
of lignocellulose
biomasses on a
small scale
in cogenerative
arrangement
Construction of
a research centre to
study, design, construct and test vehicles and
watercraft
with a low
environmental
impact
The project intends
to study, optimise, design and realise the prototype for a recovery and
transformation system for the
energy contained in agro-forestry
and lignocellulosic agro-industrial
waste into electricity and thermal
energy.
- Thermocold
Costruzioni
(Modugno)
- STIM Engineering srl (Bari)
- consorzio GiInnovation: SOCOGES SRL and GISAMOTOR (Monopoli) University of
- STIM Engineering Salento/CREA
srl (Bari)
- Trek srl
(Milan)
- Consortium
Sustainable
The project intends
mobility:
to develop and test prototypes
Convertino srl
of land vehicles & watercraft
(Brindisi); Moroni
with low or no environmental
Autoservice srl
impact, also fuelled with hydrogen- (Milan);
or eco-compatible
Tai srl (Milano)
fuel cells.
and Zincar srl
(Milano)
- consortium
CETMA
Source: ARTI
82
- Thermocold
Costruzioni
(Modugno)
- STIM Engineering
srl (Bari)
quaderno5B:Layout 1
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12:01
Pagina 83
Bibliography
ARTI (2007), Energie rinnovabili ed efficienza energetica: un quadro d’insieme,
(Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency: an overview), Bari
(http://www.arti.puglia.it/1812.asp).
CESI (2002), Atlante Eolico dell’Italia (Wind Atlas of Italy)
(www.ricercadisistema.it/pagine/notiziedoc/61/Atlanteeolico.pdf )
ENEA (2006), Situazione ed Indirizzi Energetico-ambientali Regionali al 2006
(Regional Energy-Environmental Situation and Trends – 2006) (www.enea.it)
ENEA (2007), Situazione ed Indirizzi Energetico-ambientali Regionali al 2007
(Regional Energy-Environmental Situation and Trends – 2007) (www.enea.it)
GSE (2006), Incentivazione delle fonti rinnovabili. Bollettino per l’anno 2005, (Incentivizing Renewable
Sources. Report for 2005) (www.grtn.it/biblioteca/documenti/4334_ALLEGATI_BOLLETTINOENERGIA2005.PDF)
Istat (2007), Statistiche Ambientali 2007 (Environmental Statistics 2007) (www.istat.it/dati/catalogo/20070817_00/testointegrale.pdf )
Ministero dello Sviluppo Economico (Ministry for Economic Development) (2007), Efficienza energetica: primi risultati della raccolta di idee progettuali (Energy Efficiency: initial results from gathering
planning ideas)
(www.industria2015.ipi.it/PII_EE_Risultati_Raccolta.pdf )
Pellerano A., Pantaleo A., Tenerelli P., Carone M.T. (2007), Studio per la valorizzazione energetica delle
biomasse agro-forestali nella regione Puglia, Dipartimento PROGESA Università di Bari (Study on exploiting energy from agro-forestry biomasses in the Apulia Region, PROGESA Department, the University of Bari)
(http://www.progesa.uniba.it/RELAZIONE%20REGIONE%20completa.pdf ).
Presidenza della Facoltà di Agraria dell’Università degli Studi di Bari (Presidency of the Faculty of Agriculture of the University of Bari) (a cura di) (2007)
Ricerca e formazione in agricoltura in Apulia (Research and training in Agricolture in Apulia)
Regione Puglia (Region of Puglia) (2007), Piano Energetico Ambientale Regionale (Regional Energy Environmental Plan)
(www.regione.puglia.it/index.php?page=progetti&opz=downfile&id=319)
Terna (2006), Elettricità nelle regioni (Electricity in the Region)
(http://www.terna.it/default/Home/SISTEMA_ELETTRICO/statistiche/dati_statistici/tabid/418/Defau
lt.aspx)
83
BIBLIOGRAPHY
QUADERNIARTI SERIE
quaderno5B:Layout 1
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Pagina 84
Pamphlet 1
February 2007
Strategic
research projects
in Apulia
2006-2009
Pamphlet 2
June 2007
The Apulian Mechatronics
District of MEDIS
84
quaderno5B:Layout 1
4-11-2008
12:01
Pagina 85
Pamphlet 3
December 2007
The Aerospace
cluster in Apulia
Pamphlet 4
January 2008
Renewable energies
and energy efficiency:
an overall perspective
85
QUADERNI ARTI SERIE

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Transcription

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