The Italian Geothermal Union (UGI), founded in 2001, is the main independent, non-governmental, non-political, non-profit geothermal organization in Italy. UGI headquarters is located in Pisa (Tuscany), near to the Larderello geothermal field, where the first geothermal power plant started operation in 1914. Today, Italy is one of the main geothermal countries worldwide and the first one in Europe for electrical power installed capacity and production. Furthermore, Larderello geothermal field is the second largest dry steam facility in the world.
Main activities concern:
- data collection and statistics production about the current status of the geothermal energy in Italy and worldwide;
- report of development programs of geothermal energy in Italy and worldwide;
- dissemination of information regarding the features and the possible applications of geothermal energy in order to make aware the public opinion on the advantages of this national energy source;
- information and data sharing with authorities, companies, professional associations, organizations and institutions that operates in the geothermal sector in Italy and worldwide;
- contact with national and regional government, local authorities and Europe Union in order to spread information on the geothermal potential of Italy and to promote the research activities and pilot projects;
The objective of UGI is to promote the geothermal development in Italy in all its possible applications: power production, direct use, and heat pumps. UGI encourages the networking and the communication among geothermal operators, research institutes, public, governmental, and administrative authorities. UGI produces and disseminates researches, documents, experiences, and organizes educational and job events for professionals, students, post-graduate and general public.
Since it was founded, UGI has been inspired by principles of trust, reciprocal exchange of knowledge and the sharing of values and objectives. UGI is committed to promote the development of geothermal energy as fundamental alternative to fossil fuel, for the electrical production and the thermal uses. UGI believes in the concept of unbiased knowledge of geothermal systems and technology, of the economic, environmental and social impacts. Italian Geothermal Union encourages the maximum development of the geothermal energy applications in Italy, the improvement of the technology and the maintenance of the plants in order to achieve an efficient and sustainable use of the geothermal resource.
In the future, one of UGI’s objectives is to organize many courses, conventions and activities for each age group and technical preparation. The social positive response to the geothermal sector is very high and UGI will operate to be up to the demands. UGI aims at becoming the reference point for an unbiased information and communication reference in Italy, in order to increase social awareness and acceptability about geothermal energy.
In the last three years, UGI has edited the updated overlook on the geothermal development in Italy and development scenarios, focusing on the potential and strategic role of the geothermal energy in Italy with reference to the new national energy strategy (SEN 2017).
Also, many publications and editorial contributions were produced. Some of them are :
- “Il calore della terra – Contributo alla storia della geotermia in Italia” / The heat of the earth – Contribution to the history of geothermal energy in Italy (2005);
- “La Geotermia: ieri, oggi, domani” / Geothermal energy: yesterday, today, tomorrow (2007);
- “Growth forecasts of the geothermal energy in Italy 2016-2030, with projections to 2030” (December 2011);
