IRGIE Project

Inventory of Geothermal Resources of the Aeolian Islands

The IRGIE project was born from the collaboration between the National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (INGV) and the Sicilian Region with the aim of promoting the energy independence of the Aeolian Islands with sustainable solutions. The project consists of seven work packages, the first 3 of which (WP2, 3, 4) are dedicated to the acquisition of geophysical and geochemical data in the field and to the modeling of geological structures, while WP5 aims to identify the most suitable technologies for the use of the identified geothermal resources characterized by low, medium and high temperatures.

Within WP5, the agreement between INGV and UGI was born for the co-design activity whose objectives are:

  • Identification of existing geothermal technologies on the market for indirect and direct applications, in order to define the technical potential of geothermal energy as a renewable energy source (RES);
  • Identification of the most suitable uses of geothermal resources with related and consequent development technologies;
  • Estimation of energy producibility at low and medium-high enthalpy as a function of the couplings between RES and plant, with consequent references to the economic potential.

On the basis of these preliminary phases, simulations of the technical potential and development scenarios for the effective use of the identified geothermal resources will be developed. These will be accompanied by the economic evaluation of the possible development scenarios.