Energy production

Acea Group is focused on consolidating the generation of green power, with particular reference to photovoltaic sources, in support of the decarbonisation and energy transition processes.

Acea operates in the photovoltaic energy sector with a total installed capacity of approximately  96 MW (data as at 2022)By the end of 2024, we plan to expand our portfolio with around 750 MW of installed photovoltaic plant capacity. As regards the greenfield photovoltaic facilities, Acea is going ahead with industrial projects and has a total development pipeline of more than 1,070 MW. 

In order to ensure greater financial flexibility with regard to investments, in 2022 we signed an agreement for the sale to the British investment fund Equitix of a majority stake in the company AE Sun Capital S.r.l., owner of photovoltaic facilities currently in operation or in the process of being connected to the grid. As part of its growth path in the photovoltaic sector, Acea will maintain its role as industrial operator and will continue to deal with the technical and commercial management of the assets transferred to the new company as well as those that will be developed in the future.

In June 2022 we inaugurated in the Municipality of Ferrandina, province of Matera, a photovoltaic plant which has an installed capacity of approximately 20MW, giving an annual output of around 36GWh.

We generate electricity also via 2 thermoelectric power plants (Montemartini and Tor di Valle) located in the municipal area of Rome, with an overall installed capacity of 106.8 MWe, and 7 hydroelectric power plants located in the regions of Lazio and Abruzzo, with a total capacity of 122 MW. We also produce energy via two waste-to-energy plants, for an overall electricity output of 58 MWe.

40,794
residents served by district heating
600
GWh
electricity produced
538
Gwh
electricity produced from renewable sources (64% of the total)

Dati al 31 dicembre 2022

The company Ecogena develops energy efficiency initiatives for the Group and reports their results to the Gestore dei Servizi Energetici (GSE) for the awarding of Energy Efficiency Certificates (EECs). The activities assigned to Ecogena also include the design and building of trigeneration plants for the production, in combined mode, of electricity, heat and cold.

Cogeneration and trigeneration

Cogeneration, namely the combined production of electrical and thermal energy, allows high efficiencies to be achieved, between 80% and 90%. Trigeneration, which is a special application of cogeneration, allows use of a part of the thermal energy recovered in order to produce cooling energy in the form of cooled water for air conditioning in rooms or for industrial processes. The activities carried out by Ecogena also include the planning and building of cogeneration and trigeneration plants.

Synergy between the Roma Sud treatment facility and the Tor di Valle power plant.

Acea Ato 2 and Acea Produzione are collaborating for the implementation of a process of integration between the two facilities. The project provides for the transfer to the power plant of biogas produced by the treatment plant for its conversion to electricity and thermal energy. The latter would then be retransferred from the power plant to the treatment facility to support the sludge anaerobic digestion processes and consequent new production of biogas.

This operation allows the replacement of methane gas used by the Tor di Valle power plant with the biogas produced by the treatment facility, with zero environmental impact in terms of CO2 emissions, since it is derived from an organic matter degradation process. Likewise, the treatment facility will have a similar benefit by using the renewable thermal energy produced with the biogas from the power plant.

In 2021 a feasibility study was initiated in order to assess the project’s environmental, economic and authorisation aspects, in preparation for the executive planning activities associated with the operations. During 2022, the authorisation process went ahead for the installation of 2 new cogeneration units, with a capacity of 1.5 MW each, which will be powered by the biogas coming from the Rome South Treatment Plant and will produce electricity to be fed into the grid and thermal energy that will be supplied to the treatment plant and partly fed into the district heating network.

Highlights

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