Enel Green Power’s plants in the Larderello area have an installed capacity of 800 MW
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| (Courtesy Enel Green Power) |
It was 8 May 1818 when, near the village of Montecerboli, the French-born merchant Francesco Giacomo Larderel started work on the first plant able to use geothermal waters for the production of boric acid.
The Larderello area is now a centre for global geothermal energy and provides clean and sustainable energy to the entire area.
The use of geothermal energy to produce electricity started at the beginning of the 20th century, when the Prince Piero Ginori Conti succeeded in channelling the heat from the earth into a dynamo able to light five light bulbs.
In 1916, the power plant was already able to produce 2,750 Kw, enough electricity to power the village of Larderello and nearby Volterra.
Over two centuries, the geothermal industry has matured and now, thanks to continuous and constant technological innovations, it is a renewable source able to produce clean electricity with low emission levels.