Italian paper mill opens power plant

An Italian paper mill recently unveiled a combined heat and power plant that provides electricity to its factory and occasionally dispatches energy back to the Italian grid.

The plant also produces steam for internal production processes and hot water for the local district-heating network of Riva del Garda.

The Cartiere del Garda paper mill and Alto Garda Servizi (AGS) opened the Alto Garda Power plant as a district-heat solution that supports European Union (EU) goals to reduce emissions.

The new district-heating network will heat more than 4,500 houses in the town of Riva del Garda. According to Cartiere del Garda, the power plant project could provide a total displacement of 40,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalents annually.

‘Lowering energy costs means a sharp reduction in total production costs,’ said Paolo Mattei, president, Alta Garda Power. ‘In order to remain competitive, the paper industry must find ways to reduce high energy costs and save on energy.’