RSE and the Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia (INGV) [Italian national institute of geophysics and volcanology] signed a memorandum of understanding aimed at collaboration in geothermal research activities. The agreement was signed on May 14 in Rome, at the premises of the Italian Ministry of Environment and Energy Security, by Franco Cotana, RSE Managing Director, and Carlo Doglioni, INGV President.

“High, medium and low enthalpy geothermal energy is a sustainable energy source with zero CO2 emissions. In the first case, high temperatures make it possible to produce steam and electricity from steam. Take as an example the Larderello model, dating back over 100 years ago. In the other cases, geothermics facilitates district heating or simply increases the thermal energy efficiency of heat pumps by up to 6 to 8 times,” said Franco Cotana. “We are therefore pleased to start today a fruitful collaboration with INGV and its researchers on these matters, in order to identify innovative energy solutions.”

“Italy has a long tradition in the geothermal energy sector, evidenced by its many power plants, in Tuscany in particular,” added Carlo Doglioni. “The signing of the memorandum of understanding with RSE allows us to make the scientific knowledge that INGV has acquired over time in this sector rich in potential available to the community, and to look to the future by investing in renewable resources that can help reduce the environmental impact of human activities.”

The meeting began with the greetings from the Head of Cabinet of the Italian Minister of Environment and Energy Security, Antonio Scino: “The protocol will boost soil-related research and the safe development of alternative energies, such as geothermal energy. This will be useful for the work of the Energy Department and the entire Ministry.”

The meeting, moderated by Giuseppe Guerrera, RSE’s Head of Institutional Relations, then continued with speeches by Marilena Barbaro, General Director and former GD for Infrastructure and Safety in MASE [Italian Ministry of Environment and Energy Security], Massimo Chiappini, INGV Environment Department Manager, and Michele de Nigris, Manager of RSE Energy Sources Development Department.

“We at MASE are committed to deploying all the necessary initiatives to strengthen Italian geothermal energy. The partnership between RSE and INGV will make an essential contribution to enhance the geothermal resource. The Ministry is ready to support this growth. Our goal is to have a balanced energy mix that fosters the decarbonization and energy independence of the country,” explained Marilena Barbaro.

“Larderello, in Tuscany, is known as the ‘Geothermal Capital of the World’ – it proves that Italy has the potential to establish itself as a hub of scientific research in this field. The progress of knowledge must therefore be constantly encouraged, including through the signing of agreements such as the one between INGV and RSE. INGV will deploy cutting-edge technologies for the characterization of geothermal systems suitable for energy production, but also for the identification of areas with energy potential through, for example, the use of white hydrogen,” said Massimo Chiappini.

“Potentially, georesources can greatly facilitate the energy transition; however, they have been poorly considered to date. Thanks to its geothermal resources, Italy can aspire to a leadership position in continental Europe as a producer of heat, electricity and critical raw materials, and take a central role in one of the energy sectors where today we are instead dependent on distant countries involved in well-known geopolitical situations,” said Michele de Nigris.

The collaboration between RSE and INGV will focus on research activities, to be developed in the short to medium term, on the impact of geological methane emissions on total greenhouse gas emissions, on geochemical characterization of geothermal fluids and oil brines to identify strategic materials, on hydrogen storage in geological systems, and on the enhancement of the low- and medium-enthalpy geothermal resource.

In the long term, however, the two entities will work together on a project to update temperature maps of the Italian subsoil down to a depth of 4,000 meters.

There could be many applications of the results of the joint research effort. Just think that geothermal brines may contain critical raw materials such as lithium, which is essential for the production of modern batteries for electric mobility and energy storage.

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