16
January
2008
|
12:30
Europe/Amsterdam

Joint venture between Acea and Pirelli Ambiente for production of renewable energy from waste

A.PI.C.E.: JOINT VENTURE BETWEEN ACEA AND PIRELLI AMBIENTE FOR THE PRODUCTION OF RENEWABLE ENERGY FROM WASTE 

A.PI.C.E., USING PIRELLI AMBIENTE PATENTS, WILL BUILD AND MANAGE PLANTS FOR MANUFACTURING OF CDR-Q (HIGH QUALITY SOLID RECOVERED FUEL FROM URBAN WASTE)

CDR-Q IS USED AS A PARTIAL SUBSTITUTE FOR COAL IN THERMOELECTRIC POWER STATIONS AND CEMENT KILNS, WITH ECONOMIC AND ENVIRONMENTAL BENEFITS FOR THE COMMUNITY

PIRELLI AMBIENTE'S PATENTS FOR PRODUCTION OF CDR-Q HAVE BEEN UTILISED SUCCESSFULLY SINCE 2003 IN THE ROBILANTE (BUZZI) CEMENT FACTORY AT THE SERVICE OF 54 TOWNS

Acea and Pirelli Ambiente communicate that their 50/50 joint venture A.PI.C.E. will operate in the sector of renewable energy from waste, bringing together the skills and strong territorial presence of Acea with the experience and technology of Pirelli Ambiente to realize projects for manufacturing of CDR-Q (High Quality Solid Recovered Fuel From Urban Waste), to be used in thermoelectric power stations and cement kilns.

The business model of A.PI.C.E. includes construction and management of plants for manufacturing of CDR-Q.

The CDR-Q patented by Pirelli Ambiente is a quality fuel derived from urban solid waste with the addition of components of high calorific value, and is able to partially substitute fossil fuels in pre-existing plants (thermoelectric power stations and cement kilns), with significant economic and environmental advantages. The use of CDR-Q, in particular, allows for reducing the difficulties of waste disposal and, utilising non-dedicated plants, can contribute substantially to rapidly resolving the problem of waste disposal. For its biomass content, CDR-Q is a renewable energy source whose use contributes to reaching EU objectives for electricity production from renewable sources as well as for CO2 reduction.

CDR-Q has already been used successfully, since 2003, in the Robilante (Buzzi) cement plant at the service of 54 municipalities in the Province of Cuneo.

A recent study by Nomisma Energia (January 2008) estimated that the potential economic and environmental benefits that can be obtained from the use of CDR-Q in Italy in thermoelectric and cement plants, assuming a widely generalized use, are:

- Reduction by circa 6.5 million tons of urban solid waste per year;
- CO2 emissions reduction of 7 million tons per year; 
- 2.7 terawatt/hour (TWh) increase in electricity production from renewable sources per year, equal to the consumption of one million families; 
- Energy savings of 1.85 million tons oil equivalent (Mtep) per year, versus an overall Italian national objective of 2.9 million tons oil equivalent (Mtep) per year.

 

Acea, the Rome-based electricity, gas and water utility, is a leading Company in Italy for water and energy supply project management, infrastructure operating and retail management. Thanks to an integration process between different services and new technology development, ACEA is today a European-standard multiservice company, close to citizens' needs.

Pirelli Ambiente provides solutions for the environment and for sustainable development. It is a unit of the Pirelli Group, which also operates in the tyre, real estate, and broadband sectors in over 160 countries worldwide, focusing on products and processes that are increasingly eco-compatible and on innovative solutions.