Research and development

In 2009, the Enel Group spent about €86 million on developing and demonstrating innovative technologies under its Technological Innovation Plan (€650 million for 2009-2013). Of total research spending, about 46% was focused on electricity generated from fossil fuels (with an emphasis on CO₂ capture and sequestration, hydrogen power, emissions reduction and improving plant efficiency), 50% for renewable energy resources (with a focus on photovoltaic and thermal solar power, geothermal, wind and biomass) and 4% for energy efficiency, electricity-powered mobility and the development of smart grids.

The following are the main projects and results: 

Zero-emission thermal power generation - CO₂ capture and sequestration (CCS)

CO2 capture and sequestration (CCS) is the key technology for generating electricity without emitting CO2 from sources such as coal, a fuel needed to guarantee a balanced generation mix. CCS  technology has not yet reached commercial maturity, therefore, research efforts must focus on demonstrating the technologies currently available (such as post-combustion capture, coal gasification or oxygenated coal combustion) on an industrial scale and on improving performance (in terms of energy penalties, for example). Enel is among those cutting-edge companies experimenting with these technologies, focusing on capturing plants’ CO2 emissions (post- combustion capture), on innovative oxygenated coal combustion technologies and technologies for the gasification of fossil fuels (pre-combustion capture) and on CO2 storage solutions. Enel’s primary commitment is to post-combustion technologies,with the project to build a CCS demonstration plant in Porto Tolle (Rovigo) that will involve capturing of the plant’s CO2 emissions and their compression, transport and geological storage in a saline aquifer. The Porto Tolle plant is one of the most advanced in the world for demonstrating CCS on a pre-commercial scale and was among the recipients of funding under the EU’s European Economic Recovery Plan (EERP) for the initial programs (funding starting at €100 million). The demonstration plant was preceded by the construction of a pilot CO2 capture system in Brindisi. The following are the main projects
carried out by Enel in this area:

•  post-combustion capture: in conjunction with the study being conducted  in the lab on optimizing the selection of sorbents, in 2009, construction began on a pilot system at the Federico II plant in Brindisi (work is at an advanced stage and the plant should be commissioned in March 2010).  This pilot system, one of the first of its scale in either Europe or the rest of the world, will enable the treatment of 10,000 Nm3/h of emissions to separate between 15-20,000 metric tons per year of CO2 and to permit optimization of the capture process, thereby augmenting Enel’s know-how  in preparation for the construction of the industrial-scale demonstration plant (roughly 250 MW) at Porto Tolle, a project that has been added to the list of the EU’s most mature, promising projects. It will become operational by the end of 2015;

• oxygenated coal combustion: Enel’s commitment to reducing CO2 is not  limited to post-combustion capture, but also includes a major effort in experimental research into oxy-combustion. The xperimental plant in Livorno has been upgraded to allow oxy-combustion to be carried out at  atmospheric pressure to assess the feasibility of this promising technology.At the experimental ITEA plant in Gioia del Colle, Enel is testing pressurized oxy-combustion, which is showing great promise in enhancing the overall efficiency of CCS-equipped plants;

•  pre-combustion capture: Enel has focused its activities in the area of pre-combustion capture, involving the gasification of fossil fuels, on improving systems for using hydrogen produced by the separation process. In 2009, construction and start-up were completed on the hydrogen demonstration plant in Fusina (Venice). The 16 MW plant – one of the first major   accomplishments, with the support of the Region of Veneto and the Environmental Ministry, within the Hydrogen Park Consortium created in Porto Marghera to exploit the resources, opportunities and technical and scientific know-how historically existing in that area – can be powered using pure hydrogen (from the Marghera petrochemical complex) or various mixes of hydrogen and methane and is the first of its type in the world. The primary goal of the research program is to develop an industrial-scale hydrogen burner with very low NOx emissions;

•  geological sequestration of carbon dioxide: to ensure the feasibility of an industrial-scale solution for CO2 emissions reduction, Enel’s research staff has focused on every ring in the CCS value chain, including the finalstage of storage. Therefore, preliminary assessments were made of the storage potential of off-shore areas in upper Lazio and the Adriatic and an in-depth study was undertaken to identify the optimal site for storing the CO2 that will be separated from the Porto Tolle plant’s emissions. Enel is testing out biological CO2 storage solutions involving microalgae cultivation on a pilot scale at its Brindisi laboratory.

Containment of emissions and residues:

Work continued on developing technologies for the containment of emissions, an area in which Enel can boast extensive experience, specifically:

• for mercury, experimental work was conducted on the pilot circuit of La Spezia and the first testing was made of a process of electrocatalytic oxidation on a small-scale plant at Livorno. Laboratory testing of the absorption of mercury in a DeSOx system was also begun;

• a study was begun to develop an integrated method for assessing the contribution of coal-fired plants to the concentration of atmospheric particulates in the surrounding areas;

• to enhance the environmental performance of geothermal plants, a revised process for the lowering of the chloric acid content of superheated steam by means of the dry injection of sodium bicarbonate was completed;

• a project was launched to promote the environmental and technical exploitation of residues of the clean-coal combustion process with their complete reuse in productions for the construction industry.

Improving the efficiency of coal plants

Enel is an active participant in international projects to developed optimized components for high-efficiency coal plants. In a few years, technological advances will make it possible to raise the operating temperature (700 °C) and the pressure of coal-fired plants, enabling the construction of plants with an efficiency of more than 50%. Enel is currently assessing the feasibility of a pilot system for testing innovative materials capable of reaching 700 °C (nickel alloys) to add to existing coal-fueled plants.
Improving coal plant efficiency is crucial for developing CCS technologies.

Expert systems for gas turbine and coal plants

Work continues on consolidating, updating and expanding the advanced diagnostic system for the major machinery used at thermal power plants.

Generation from renewable resources

Strong growth in electricity generated from renewable resources forms the basis of the strategy for the sustainable development of the energy sector. Some forms of generation from renewable resources (such as photovoltaic) have already reached the mature stage, but their high cost (and low efficiency) limits their use on a large scale. Other technologies are still at the development stage. Research is focusing on improving existing technologies to reduce their costs and improve their efficiency, and on developing new generation concepts. Enel is also committed on the photovoltaic solar energy front (the major challenges are developing thin film, solar concentrators and new, cheaper alternatives to silicon), on thermal solar power (development of innovative plant designs, such as the use of an integrated energy storage system making it possible to generate electricity even at night or the direct production of steam, or of innovative components such as Fresnel mirrors), on wind power (the development of off-shore wind energy making it possible for install larger plants and to make use of stronger, steadier winds, or of systems for boosting the capacity of on-shore plants), on biomass (using biomass to fuel traditional plants – which coupled with the use of CCS technologies would render these plants carbon negative¹ – or gasification plants) and on other technologies such as innovative geothermal power (low geothermal heat making it possible to exploit relatively low-temperature springs, or enhanced geothermal systems for generating electricity from hot rocks where no steam is present).

Specifically, Enel is working on the following projects:

• thermal solar: work has continued (now in the final stages) on the “Archimede Project”, which involves the construction of a thermal solar demonstration facility based on linear parabolic collectors, generating around 5 MW of electricity, using ENEA technology coupled with the existing combined-cycle plant in Priolo Gargallo (Siracusa). With this innovative technology (it is the first demonstration plant in the world), it will be possible to boost the efficiency of the plant, thereby providing greater output thanks to the exploitation of the ability of the molten salts to reach temperatures exceeding 500 °C. The plant should be operational by May 2010;

• innovative photovoltaic: development of a major solar power laboratory in Catania, equipped with cutting-edge technology, was completed. The facility will be used to verify the performance of innovative photovoltaic systems and to develop new solutions with higher conversion efficiencies and lower costs. The laboratory will play a fundamental role in the initial and pre-industrial development of advanced photovoltaic technologies for expanding and consolidating the latest generation of thin-film photovoltaic modules;

• innovative geothermal: Enel is engaged in the study of a high-performance supercritical organic cycle that will make it possible to build more efficient geothermal plants where low-temperature sources are available. Enel is building a prototype 500 kWe circuit at the Livorno Experimental Site;

• biomass and refuse-derived fuel: Enel is focusing its activities on the co-combustion of biomass and refuse-derived fuel (RDF) in coal plants.
  Monitoring work began at units 3 and 4 of the Fusina plant, which is fueled with a mixture of RDF (5%) and coal (95%). This activity, conducted as part of a European project coordinated by Enel, will make it possible to study the behavior of a traditional power station when it is fueled with biomass for the generation of renewable energy. Enel has also completed the “Energy Farm” project, whose purpose is to demonstrate both proven and innovative technologies for the conversion of various types of biomass into electrical and thermal energy, and for the production of bio-fuels;

• wind power: Enel is developing systems for forecasting the short-term output of Enel’s wind farms in order to understand when and how much electricity will be generated in advance so that the flow of electricity to the grid can be better managed. A research project was also begun in 2009 to determine the technical specifications for small wind generators for domestic distributed generation. The systems are currently in the process of being selected. The test station should begin operation in the 1st Half of 2010;

• energy storage: in 2009, Enel devoted a great deal of attention to energy storage, an aspect strategic to integrating renewable resources into the power grid. The work done at Enel’s energy storage test facility in Livorno on this issue is particularly important given the problems linked with managing the power grid. Work will begin in 2010 on determining the specifications for batteries (vanadium redox, lithium-ion and ZEBRA) for the most promising technologies for connecting storage systems with renewable-resources generation plants and the grid;

• biodiesel: Enel installed two new biodiesel engines at the plant on the island of Capraia, capable of generating more than 1 MWe of power, as part of its program to make the electricity generation systems on small islands more environmentally friendly;

• the “Diamante”: the “Diamante” is a new generation solar power plant, conceived and developed by Enel’s research staff and the University of Pisa. The photovoltaic panels, mounted on the faces of a diamond-shaped structure, generate electricity that, when not being used, is stored in the form of hydrogen to be used when the skies are overcast. The hydrogen is stored, achieved using cutting-edge metal hydride powder, in tanks inside the structure. These innovative power plants are functional and attractive, achieving a harmonious balance between architecture, technology and nature. The first one was inaugurated in 2009 in Villa Medicea in Pratolino near Florence, where it supplies electricity day and night to the lighting system for a portion of the park and for several electric bicycles available to visitors;

• energy efficiency combined with distributed generation: the spread of the generation of electricity from renewable resources (by small and very small systems, too) means that the present grid, which had been designed to deliver electricity in only one direction, must now be transformed into a smart grid, capable of handling a growing amount of distributed generation, especially that from renewable resources, and of making better use of storage systems, of interacting with advanced systems for managing delivery to the end user and with systems for recharging electric vehicles, and of improving the grid’s overall efficiency.

(1) A plant is deemed carbon negative when the balance of CO₂ emissions along the entire cycle is negative.

Distributed generation

Work continued on the development of smart grids as part of the European ADDRESS project, of which Enel Distribuzione is the project leader and coordinator, for developing an innovative infrastructure with the inclusion of news power grids and generation, compensation and load systems. Under the project, critical scenarios will be simulated and pilot programs will be run in several European countries. Other projects in this area include the Enel Home project to develop value-added services for efficiently managing energy usage in the home targeted at end users, and the Navicelli project for developing and testing new thermal and power grid management systems for a services/industry energy district that can interact with the electricity distribution grid in order to optimize the local network and the provision of grid services.

Leaf Community

Enel is taking part in the Leaf Community project, which seeks to incorporate eco-sustainable practices into everyday life. The experimental community centers around the zero emissions Leaf House, built by Loccioni in Angeli di Rosora (Ancona). It consists of six apartment units, built using cutting-edge bio-construction techniques and powered by electricity generated from renewable resources (rooftop photovoltaic and thermal solar panels, geothermal heat pump). Top-of-the-line systems for reducing energy consumption are incorporated into the design (for example, the recovery and reuse of rain water). Enel supplied a hydrogen storage system so that the electricity generated by the photovoltaic panels can be stored for times when no sunlight is available and installed an electronic meter which allows the consumer to monitor consumption. The meter will soon be integrated with the home’s automation systems.

Electric cars

The project involves the development of an integrated mobility model that will give a strong boost to the widespread use of electric cars by both individuals and the business community and will lead to more efficient energy use. In 2009, Enel signed a groundbreaking agreement with Daimler-Mercedes to conduct a pilot program under which the car manufacturer will supply at least 100 electric Smart cars, starting sometime in 2010. Enel’s contribution will be to develop the infrastructure for recharging these vehicles, with more than 400 dedicated recharging points located in customers’ garages and parking facilities and at strategic points throughout the cities where the technology is being tested (Rome, Pisa and Milan). The project combines the specific skills and substantial experience of the two major groups, with the goal of furthering sustainable mobility in an urban context. Enel also signed an important agreement with Piaggio to support the development of electric commercial vehicles and hybrid scooters. The goal is to promote electric mobility by offering innovative services to corporate customers by addressing the specific needs of their fleets of electric vehicles.

Green ports

This project involves providing an integrated suite of services with high environmental value to Italy’s major ports in order to reduce polluting, climate-altering emissions caused by maritime traffic. Specifically, under the agreement signed with the Civitavecchia Port Authority, Enel’s Technical Development and Plant Construction Area developed a cold ironing (land-based electricity) system to supply power to cruise ships berthed at the Port of Civitavecchia. The development of this highly innovative technology could provide the Enel Group with a potentially expandable market and have the highly positive benefit of reducing greenhouse gases and other atmospheric pollutants. It could, moreover, also offer markets for other products and services such as electric mobility for transporting people and goods, high-efficiency artistic lighting, systems for generating electricity from renewable resources and bundled energy plans making port buildings more energy efficient.