Air Quality

Geothermal energy is a renewable source that uses the Earth’s heat to generate electricity. Due to their high temperature, geothermal fluids frequently show slight traces of harmful natural substances. The latter can produce impacts – albeit reduced ones – on air quality, after the steam has generated electricity and its incondensable gases are released to the cooling towers.  In order to abate the emission of these components, Enel Green Power uses the AMIS system, developed and patented by Enel Research, which reduces practically to zero the natural gases and metals associated with geothermal steam. AMIS therefore eliminates the discomfort caused by the characteristic smell of hydrogen sulphide emissions, facilitating the integration of the plants into the surrounding area.
Air quality is constantly monitored and the monitoring data are publicly available, also on this website.

This section therefore shows the values of concentrations measured by the Enel Green Power’s Air Quality monitoring system. It reports values of hourly average concentrations of H2S (hydrogen sulphide) for the last 24 hours, last 14 days and last 90 days. The values are compared with the corresponding reference values of the "Guideline criteria for the limitation of atmospheric emissions of geothermal plants", Resolution dated March 22 2010, n.344, issued by the Regional Council of Tuscany. Hydrogen sulphide is a substance that gives out a smell. With regard to the threshold of human perception of the smell of hydrogen sulphide is referenced to the value of 7 mg / m indicated by the World Health Organization.