Switching off fossil fuels in Parco Nord Schools

Located in the Metropolitan City of Milan, the Parco Nord Schools serve 6,000 students and host a daily total of 7,000 people, including teaching and non-teaching staff. In 2017, the school required significant upgrades, but the city lacked the necessary resources. Carbotermo, member of Fiper, stepped in, proposing a comprehensive energy efficiency improvement intervention for the building, aiming to achieve significant economic savings and using those savings to pay for the investment over a medium-length period.

Founded in 1951, Carbotermo began as an energy manager using coal-powered plants. Initially, it provided energy mainly to residential buildings with coal. Over the years, it transitioned to diesel, then natural gas, and most recently, has introduced various renewable energy sources, primarily biomass, including wood chips, pellets, etc., depending on the size of the application.

The core of the Parco Nord project involved installing a 2 MW woodchip heating plant to replace two natural gas boilers. The original boilers had a combined power of over 4 MW, but due to increased efficiency, the new 2 MW system is sufficient.

Currently, the woodchips come from nearby areas and agricultural companies within the district. The school’s location within a park makes biomass the most natural and obvious solution, as park prunings could meet 70% of the school’s energy needs, and potentially go up to 100% with more careful management.

Carbotermo is also exploring the electrification through other renewables, despite some limitations. However, there is a substantial amount of agricultural and forestry by-products that should be used. For instance, the maintenance work in the park would find its destination and energy recovery within the park itself, eliminating the need for transportation.

Unused spaces, like the former canteen, have been renovated to create six new classrooms for relocating students during exterior work, ensuring minimal disruption for the students. These classrooms are permanently designed, each promoting a renewable energy message.

Carbotermo’s approach was not limited to energy efficiency, it also proposes a cultural change. Before commencing renovations, Carbotermo engaged teachers and students to foster energy-saving behaviours. Students are participating in a competition to design a totem summarizing the project, with the winning design to be implemented. Regular meetings are scheduled to keep students updated, involving companies working on various renovation aspects to explain their processes and decisions.

By embracing bioenergy and utilizing woodchips, the Parco Nord Schools set a precedent for sustainable practices in educational institutions, significantly reducing their carbon footprint and fostering a greener environment.

The Municipality of Varna, Italy, fully Defossilising its district heating system

ASM Bressanone, a district heating provider, has decided to install a new Turboden biomass-fired Combined Heat and Power (CHP) system.

Fifteen years ago, ASM Bressanone took a major step toward sustainable energy by installing a 1 MWel + 4 MWth biomass-fired ORC system. This plant has supplied heat to the local district heating network and generated around 5.5 million kWh of green energy annually. Now, they are upgrading with a larger Turboden CHP ORC system, expected to produce 1.8 MWel and 8 MWth.

This new system, like the one installed 15 years ago, is based on Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC) technology. Over the years, the district heating network in Bolzano province, Trentino Alto Adige, has grown steadily, with increasing demand for heat. In this region, biomass-fed district heating systems are common, many of which use CHP units powered by ORC technology. Turboden’s ORC plants play a key role in efficiently converting various types of biomass into electricity and heat, offering a sustainable way to generate renewable energy while making the most of available resources.

By integrating cogeneration, these systems maximize energy efficiency, producing both clean electricity and green heat. This approach reduces environmental impact and optimizes resource use.

The new Turboden plant is expected to be completed by the end of 2024. By choosing Turboden’s reliable technology again, ASM Bressanone reaffirms its commitment to efficient and eco-friendly energy production. Once operational, the new plant will provide the municipality of Varna with district heating from 100% renewable energy sources.

Legno Valsugana: The Rebirth of Italian Forests After the Vaia Storm

The VAIA storm of October 2018 devastated vast forested areas of the Eastern Italian Alps, wiping out 42,800 hectares of forest and leaving behind a massive challenge for managing the damaged wood, especially due to the bark beetle epidemic triggered by the fallen timber. However, this crisis also presented a unique opportunity to rethink the use of forest resources from a perspective of circular economy and sustainability. A concrete example of this transformation is Legno Valsugana S.r.l., a Trentino-based company that has successfully turned bark beetle-infested wood into a valuable resource for the territory, both economically and environmentally.

Legno Valsugana S.r.l. was established in 2020 by three companies in the sector – Cippolegno srl, Forest Peg srl, and Società Agricola Bernardi S.r.l. – which decided to join forces and make significant investments. This collaboration led to the creation of an integrated and cutting-edge facility capable of making the most efficient and circular use of every part of the wood collected from the damaged forests.

The facility, which covers approximately 2.5 hectares, includes a sawmill, a biomass thermal power plant, and a modern pellet factory. This integrated production system represents a virtuous model of circular economy: Legno Valsugana’s sawmill processes the bark beetle-infested wood, transforming it into lumber for the packaging industry. The processing waste, such as wood chips and sawdust, is not treated as waste but is instead used as raw material to produce ENplus® certified pellets.

The biomass resulting from the forestry operations of the three partner companies, which would typically be considered waste, serves as an excellent fuel source for Legno Valsugana’s thermal power plant. This plant generates the heat necessary to power the drying line of the pellet factory. Additionally, in line with its commitment to environmental sustainability and the use of renewable energy, the company utilizes energy generated by photovoltaic panels installed on the roofs of the production area.

This closed and circular process not only reduces environmental impact by clearing damaged material from the forests but also ensures a secure and sustainable energy supply for the territory. The approach adopted by Legno Valsugana S.r.l. demonstrates how even a disaster like the VAIA storm and the subsequent bark beetle epidemic can be turned into an opportunity by adopting the principles of cascading use and the efficient and circular reuse of production waste.

The use of local biomass, in addition to reducing the need to import wood and fuels, helps strengthen the energy independence of the territory and promote local economic development. Legno Valsugana S.r.l. represents a successful case of circular economy applied to the wood-energy sector, a tangible example of how sustainability, innovation, and efficiency can go hand in hand to create a more resilient and environmentally respectful future, proving that wood, even when damaged, can have a second useful and valuable life for the community.