Not just hydroelectricity. The great lean of the Po is also making the thermoelectric plants thirsty, those that need to drink water by the ton to cool the steam condensers and immediately return it to the river, warmed up. They pulled up sand instead of fresh water, and the large thermoelectric plants of Moncalieri (Turin, Iren), Sermide (Mantua, A2A), some of the Ostiglia groups (Mantua, Ep) stopped for about 2,400 megawatts less. And they begin to cough dry cough Piacenza (A2A), La Casella (Piacenza, Enel), Chivasso (Turin, A2A), Turbigo (Milan, Iren), Tavazzano (praise, Ep) for about 4,800 megawatts. All power stations which, without a declaration of emergency, are also exposed to contractual disputes.
All the major electricity companies receive the order from Terna to restart any power generation plant, even the marginal, old, inactive ones. The Venice Fusina (Enel), La Spezia (Enel), Monfalcone (A2A) power plants are preparing to re-ignite and digest coal by the ton.
Electric hoarseness will have to be faced with the month of July, the month in which Italians consume more electricity, coinciding with the whims of Moscow and with the shutdown for safety maintenance for 28 of the 56 French nuclear reactors, the spare wheel of the ‘Electric Europe.
Hydroelectric reservoirs emptied
The numbers. On Tuesday, Terna released the data relating to May. Last month, the energy produced by hydroelectric plants rose to 3.32 billion kilowatt hours, almost double compared to April. And the basins were emptied, half empty at 38.5%, and very low filling in Upper Italy, just 25.2%. The snows melted a month early and their water has already passed quickly in the hydroelectric turbines, slipping into the dried bed of the Po as far as the Adriatic. The Regions have asked the electricity companies to let go of some water to quench the farmers’ thirst, but bringing hydroelectric production up to June also means running out of supplies for the full summer.
There are still approximate indications for June: in the first two weeks, hydroelectric production falls by 39% compared to June 2021.