Friday, May 6, 2016

Italy: Inauguration of Cornia 2 Hybrid Geothermal/Biomass Power Plant

Geothermal and biomass combine in Tuscany power plant (AGI)

The "Cornia 2" power plant has opened in the town of Castelnuovo Val di Cecina, central Italy. It is the second plant in the world that integrates geothermal and biomass after the Honey Lake hybrid plant in northern California.

The plant, which was connected to the grid in July, uses biomass to superheat geothermal steam, increasing the energy efficiency and electrical output (by 5 MW) of the geothermal cycle.

The existing plant has been joined by a small "short chain" virgin biomass-fired power station, from forest wood, produced in a radius of 70 km from the plant. There is a particular focus on the management and maintenance of the wooded areas.

The biomass is used to superheat the steam entering the power station from a temperature of between 150°C and 160°C to between 370°C and 380°C. This increases the net power for electricity production due to greater enthalpy of the steam and to the performance of the cycle due to lower humidity in the production phase.

Read More.......