Alert Web

HeraAssetPublisherFilterComuneSelector

The Imola cogeneration plant: state-of-the-art technology for the local area

Testata Focus

Focus

Testata Focus

Focus

Asset Publisher

The Imola cogeneration plant: state-of-the-art technology for the local area

Thanks to Imola's cogeneration plant, which produces electricity and heat from a single source, the city and its district are completely self-sufficient in case of blackouts. Find out more about one of the most advanced plants in Italy.

What do the Town Hall and the Municipal Library of Imola have in common, but also the theatres, the old and the new hospital, the Alberghetti Technical Institute, and the municipal swimming pool? They are all connected to the district heating network served by the Imola Cogeneration Plant, the pride and joy of the Hera Group. An extremely cutting-edge project that in 2019 celebrated the tenth anniversary of its foundation, confirming it is one of the most innovative and efficient plants in Italy.

Let's take a step back. What is cogeneration? It is the combined production of multiple forms of secondary energy, such as electricity or heat, within a single integrated system powered by a single primary energy source, which can be fossil or renewable. This process can save around 40% of energy compared to the production of electricity and heat separately in conventional power plants.

The Imola cogeneration plant, housed on a site of over 5 thousand m², is perfectly integrated into its surrounding landscape. It is powered by natural gas and has an electrical power of 80 MWe, almost enough to satisfy the Imola area's entire annual electricity demand. With a thermal capacity of 65 MWt, it can support both the current peak loads required by the district heating network and the basic thermal load expected with future connections. Moreover, since it can operate "as an island", the power station can continue to supply electricity to almost all the users connected to the Italian grid even in the event of a power blackout, making Imola and its district perfectly self-sufficient.

In 2019, the Imola cogeneration plant produced 257,900 MWh of electricity and 118,785 MWh of thermal energy. The plant provides high performance from both the production and the environmental points of view, combining low levels of atmospheric emissions with significant energy savings. We have achieved many goals in recent years, but we are not going to stop: in 2020, in fact, we are working to reduce the power plant's water consumption further.

[business-activities/focus] hidden search categories

Search Bar

Asset Publisher

A source of clean energy from sewers and wet waste: Biomethane

An investment of Euro 37 million. A plant that disposes of 100 thousand tonnes of organic waste produced by separate waste collection and another 35 thousand tonnes coming from green waste and pruning material.

Biodiesel has been developed also from used food oil

Fuel may also be extracted from vegetable oils. Used domestic vegetable oil (such as frying oil) which is recovered by multiutility services via roadside containers and drop-off points, is transformed into biodiesel, which in turn is used to fuel the vehicles used for urban waste collection.

Bus fuel from trash: Hera's pilot project with "START"

To obtain clean energy to power Ravenna's buses by decomposing waste in landfills.

Data, the key to a smart future

From city to "smart city" thanks to data: with our detection systems we can monitor traffic trends, air quality and consumption of public parks.

Dialogue with the urban context for new energy: the Borgo Panigale cogeneration plant

District heating is already in itself a "sustainable" and environment-friendly solution, because it can guarantee better performance than traditional domestic boilers. In addition, the plant located in Borgo Panigale ensures lower emissions into the environment, more reliability and greater availability of energy. The system can heat the equivalent of 8,000 residential units. Currently, the turbines can produce 35,000 MWh of energy per year, almost twice as much as in the past.

Ferrara, the city of "green" heat

What's Ferrara's green secret? It's underground, where a geothermal basin feeds its district heating system. The result? 87% of the thermal energy distributed in the city is "clean" and we avoid about 22 thousand tonnes of CO 2 emissions.

Hera and General Electric together for energy recovery

We have installed a turbo expander at the R&M stations of Ducati's factory in Bologna. The goal is to recover electricity from the decompression process of methane gas.

Hergo Reti: the smart approach to emergency service and maintenance

More than 130 thousand emergency response reports involving 1,500 employees in 2019. More than 50 thousand emergency response operations in the first six months of 2020, in a local area that includes Emilia-Romagna, Triveneto and Marche.

Hergoambiente, waste bin speaking

Our 300,000 waste bins are talking. How? Thanks to a "tag" that always tells us where they are, how they are working and if they have been emptied. Find out more about the projects of HergoAmbiente, Hera Group's "smart" system to support waste management services.

Innovation takes flight and offers a variety of perspectives

Hera Group's drones are alternative and supplemental investigation tools to provide quality services to the areas we serve.

— 10 Items per Page

Showing 1 - 10 of 28 results.

Bilancio bs e be banner

Interactive financial statements and sustainability reports

The consolidated economic results at 31 December 2023 and the 2023 sustainability report were approved by the Board of Directors of the Hera Group on 26 March 2024

Online report Y2023

2023 sustainability report