COMENIUS PROJECT
Energy Sources in Siciliy
Solar Energy
Gas Energy
Wind Energy
Biomass Energy
Map Power Plants
Thermic Energy
Coal Energy
Water Energy
Geothermal Energy
Hidroelectric Power Plant
Solar Power Plant
Wind Farm
Gas Power Plant
Biomass Power Plant
Thermal Power Plant
Archimedes Project
CASUZZE: Palermo - Power Efficiency 9 MW
GUADALAMI: Piana degli Albanesi (PA) – Power Efficiency 80 MW
SAN CARLO: Burgio (AG) – Power Efficientcy 6 MW
POGGIODIANA: Caltabellotta (AG) – Power Efficiency 4,3 MW
REGALBUTO: Regalbuto (EN) – Power Efficiency 6,4 MW
CONTRASTO: Adrano (CT) – Power Efficiency 35 MW
PATERNÒ: Paternò (CT) – Power Efficiency 12,8 MW
BARCA: Paternò (CT) – Power Efficiency 9,4 MW
PETINO: Sortino (SR) – Power Efficiency 4,1 MW
Adrano (CT): experimental solar power station (the
first in Europe no longer active)
Ginostra (Aeolian): Photovoltaic (under
construction)
Vulcano (Eolie): Photovoltaic assets under
management by ENEL
Catania: photovoltaic system in design
Gela: photovoltaic system in design
Archimedes: Priolo (SR) – Power Efficiency 750
MW
Caltabellotta (AG) – Power Efficiency 7,5 MW
Scalfani Bagi (PA) – Power Efficiency 26 MW
Carlentini (SR) – Power Efficiency 25 MW
Regalbuto (EN) – Power Efficiency 3.500.000 KW
• Fondachelli Fantina (ME)
• Enna - Under Construction
• Ribera - Under Construction
San Filippo del Mela: S. Filippo del Mela (ME) – Power Efficiency 1280 MW
Archimede: Priolo Gargallo (SR) – Power Efficiency 750 MW
Termini Imerese: Termini Imerese (PA) – Power Efficiency 454 MW
Lampedusa: Lampedusa e Linosa (AG) – Out of Service
Comenius Project:
Energy in your life
The Archimedes Project:
Carl Rubbia
The Archimedes project is the first integration of a gas
combined cycle and solar thermodynamic power plant in the
world .
The plant, located in Priolo, near Syracuse, in Sicily ,is called
‘’Archimedes’’ for the rows of huge parabolic mirrors used to capture
the sun rays .They recall the ‘’burning mirrors’’ that Archimedes is said
to have used to fire the Roman ship that besieged Syracuse during the
Punic war in 212 BC.
The project is the result of Rubbia’s research activities concentrated on
the problem of energy supply for the future, with particular focus on
the development of new technologies for renewable energy sources .
The nuclear researcher has developed a new method for concentrating
solar power at high temperatures for energy production.
The special technology used in the Priolo plant , was developed by
Enea , the Italian energy authority.
The Archimedes plant is the first in the world to use molten salts as the
heat transfer fluid and to integrate a combined –cycle gas facility and a
solar thermal power plant for electricity generation.
The plant can collect and store the heat of the sun for many hours in
order to generate electricity at night or in overcast conditions. This
allows to overcome the common limitation of this renewable source
,namely ,that you can use it only when nature makes it available.
Solar thermodynamic technology uses a set of parabolic mirrors to concentrate the sun rays on
pipes carrying a fluid . The latter ,collected in special tanks , can be used to power a steam
generator . The high-temperature steam and the pressure drive the turbines into the adjacent
gas combined cycle power plant to generate electricity when it is necessary , reducing
consumption of fossil fuels .
The molten salts used in the system are a mixture of sodium nitrates and potassium , which can
accumulate heat for long periods .
The capacity of the solar plant is about 5 MW . It presents an annual savings of 2,100 tonnes of
oil . It reduces carbon dioxide emissions by about 3,250 tonnes.
The solar thermal power plant consist of a field of about 30,000 square metres of mirrors (the
parabolic collectors ) that concentrate sunlight onto 5,400 metres of pipe carrying the molten
salts fluid . The thermal energy collected by the system produces high pressure steam that is
channeled into the turbines of the power plant producing electricity and reducing the
consumption of fossil fuels and , as a result , enhancing the environmental performance of the
gas combined cycle plant .
The solar collectors (the parabolic mirrors and pipes or receivers) , together with a steam
generator and two heat storage tanks-one cold and one hot –make up the solar portion of the
system.
When the sun shines , the thermal fluid draws from the cold tank and circulates through the
network of parabolic collectors .There it is heated to a temperature of 550°C and injected into the
hot tank where at a high temperature the thermal energy is stored . The fluid is then drawn from
the hot reservoir to produce steam at a high pressure and temperature and it is sent to Enel’s
nearby combined cycle plant where it contributes to electricity generation.
This system enables the plant to generate electricity at any time of the day and in any weather
conditions until the stored energy is depleted.
Advantages of the Archimedes Project
• The energy obtained is “clean”.
• There is less dependence on foreign import of electricity or crude oil.
• The “Archimedes solar” will boost employment in the South of Italy and more
generally in the tropical word, where solar exposure is possible on wider areas
and where “light fields” will generate a greater quantity of “clean and
renewable” electricity.
Disadvantages of the Archimedes Project
• The plant requires a wide surface area for the concentrating
mirrors.
• Since the exposure to the sun rays is not continuous, the
production of energy can not be constant. This aspect is however
partially mitigated in this case by the possibility of accumulating
heat in special reservoirs.
• The amount of energy produced is still too low in comparison with
the one generated by fossil fuels.
• The Archimedes project still counts on experimental technology.
The technological costs are still high.
Video
Carlo Rubbia was born in Gorizia in 1934.
After his studies at the University of Pisa he
moved to New York. He continued his research
in Rome becoming researcher of the European
Organization for the Nuclear Research, CERN.
He taught Physics at Harvard University in
Massachussetts. Later he held the position of
General Manager at CERN- In 1994 he moved to
the International Centre for Theoretical Physics
in Trieste. Now, he teaches Complements of
Superior Physics in Pavia. He also won the Nobel
Prige for Physics in 1984.