Capstone Green Energy Corporation, announced that IBT Group, Capstone’s authorized distributor in Italy, received an order for a C1000 Signature Series microturbine to power a district heating plant for the municipality of Bardonecchia, Italy. The follow-on order is the second for Energetica S.p.A. Group, an energy service company and the plant operator. The microturbine is scheduled to be commissioned in December 2023.
“District heating is an ideal use for Capstone’s microturbines. By combining heat and power production for an area, so many efficiencies are gained compared to distributed and disconnected buildings and boilers. We are always happy when our customers return for a second order because they have first-hand knowledge of the value and reliability of Capstone technology,” said Darren Jamison, President and CEO of Capstone Green Energy.
A natural gas-fueled C1000S microturbine will enable the continuity of electrical energy and heat service for the area’s population and provide increased energy security. In district heating systems, each user’s boiler is removed and they are connected to a single hot water distribution network. This makes it possible to produce heat at higher efficiency levels and with better emissions control. When the heat is produced through a cogeneration plant, the production cycle works more efficiently resulting in increased energy savings.
In 2016, Energetica S.p.A. commissioned a Capstone microturbine for the Breuil-Cervinia district heating plant. Having exceeded the company’s expectations with the first installation, plant operators selected Capstone’s innovative microturbine technology again as a trusted source of clean and reliable energy. The application provides the best economic value to the customer and is designed to lower energy costs, increase resiliency, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
“Our customer was already familiar with Capstone’s highly efficient cogeneration systems. This repeat order demonstrates that they clearly value both the power reliability offered by low emission, clean energy microturbine-based systems,” said Ilario Vigani, Principal at IBT Group.
According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), district heating networks offer great potential for efficient, cost-effective and flexible large-scale integration of low-carbon energy sources into the heating energy mix. Furthermore, Italy’s economy has one of the highest CHP potentials among major European economies leading up to 2030.
