“We leading renewable but oil serves’ – Il Sole 24 Ore

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This article was published March 30, 2016 at 6:34.

STILLWATER (NEVADA)

“we are a leader in renewable, but oil is used.” A Stillwater, in Nevada, is Matteo Renzi, at the beginning of his trip to America, to inaugurate the first hybrid plant in the world for the production of renewable energy. Enel GreenPower is a plant and the prime minister is here with a group, Francesco Starace, who wanted that plant. A plant that uses synchronously three different types of renewable energy to increase the efficiency of energy production: something epochal. The premier also takes the opportunity to announce that Enel GreenPower has won a contract in Mexico from 1.5 billion for the production of wind and solar energy.

There is not just national pride in the announcement and in the words of Prime Minister will also meet the national controversy and intra his party, where a part of the minority is in favor of the referendum against the drills. We look forward to the technologies and the most innovative plants – said the prime minister – but reaslisticamente oil you can not do without today.

The price of oil is at its lowest for many years, new discoveries of shale oil are added to excess supply. Many have asked to slow down investment in new incoming industrial revolution, the one for the switch to renewable energy, the electric car step, for the transformation which should reduce the use of fossil fuels. The oil is used, says Renzi, but the echo of the appeal came from the Paris summit on the environment remains unchanged, the data of scientists, worrying and aims for a balance between consumption of fossil and renewable energy have now been sottosscritti from the world community and Italy should keep its lead in this area that looks to the future. To Stillwater is a inziato project in 2009 and completed in 2015, with the addition of a solar thermal plant. The investment of 290 million dollars. It was also the first time a President of the Italian Council in this country where, among other things, operates another Italian company, the IGT of the former Lottomatica, “which employs in the wagering games from production to 500 people” as said Brian Sandoval, the state governor, who was also in Stillwater.

The news does not end there. By March there will be the delisting of Enel GreenPower and consolidation under the umbrella of Enel that, by a 68% company listed on the package, will again have the 100% control. One of the reasons for the delisting? Enel by 2019 will devote 53% of investment for growth, about 9 billion dollars, renewable energy. Among these there is already an ongoing project with the Tesla electric car manufacturer. Enel has made an agreement for the distribution of batteries Tesla in South Africa for use in domestic consumption in areas where no electricity arrives. Enel GreenPower has also signed an agreement with Israeli company Ormat which operates in the renewables sector.

“It’s the confirmation of what globalization help us, nothing but harm – said Renzi – is a pioneering investment as this, at a very high technological content, we can open new frontiers in the field. It’s a project like this, made by an Italian company in America by collaborating with the authorities and with the American scientific community, that Italy can benefit from both the globalization of technological innovation. Globalization is the biggest asset that Italy has to return itself. There is a kind of new energy in projects of this kind and I do not want to make a pun, I talk about energy for growth, to look forward. And that is what we must aim. ” For the Stillwater project there was also a 30% contribution of the department for the American Energy for the investment of 15 million dollars, “We could take advantage of an experimental research that has opened new horizons in the field,” said the representative of the Ministry, Martin Keller. “With this project, Enel Green Power has become an example of success in working with governments and industrial partners around the world to address the issues related to the environment and climate change through the use of renewable,” said Francesco Starace. “The lessons learned in this solar-geothermal structure confirms the theoretical studies of a productivity increase of more than 3% from geothermal-solar thermal combination – added Starace – that will contribute fundamentally to the development of other hybrid systems around the world. We will continue to invest in new technology solutions to maximize existing assets. “

Renzi, accompanied by his wife Agnes in this journey that will take him also to Chicago, Boston and Washington, he delivered his brief address in English in tent in the desert in the middle of geothermal, solar thermal and photovoltaic. In the tent, in addition to the governor were Sen. Dean Heller, the Congressman Mark Amodei, of Italian origin, Ken Tedford, the mayor of Fallon, the nearest town, which gave Renzi the keys of the city. From today Renzi will be in Chicago, where the journey in Italian technology will continue in the advanced manufacturing sector. The premier also announced that tomorrow we will be in Boston, “the most important event of the trip” with the finalization of the agreement with the Watson Institute (IBM) for reuse and recovery of structures and Expo areas.

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