Vado Ligure power station

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Vado Ligure power station is an operating power station of at least 800-megawatts (MW) in Vado Ligure, Savona, Italy with multiple units, some of which are not currently operating.

Location

Table 1: Project-level location details

Plant name	Location	Coordinates (WGS 84)
Vado Ligure power station	Vado Ligure, Savona, Italy	44.2755, 8.4305 (exact)

The map below shows the exact location of the power station.

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Unit-level coordinates (WGS 84):

• Unit 1, Unit 3, Unit 4, Unit VL5, Unit VL6, Unit VL7: 44.2755, 8.4305

Project Details

Table 2: Unit-level details

Unit name	Status	Fuel(s)	Capacity (MW)	Technology	CHP	Start year	Retired year
Unit 1	retired	coal - bituminous	320	subcritical	–	1970	2016
Unit 3	retired	coal - bituminous	330	subcritical	–	1970	2016
Unit 4	retired	coal - bituminous	330	subcritical	–	1971	2016
Unit VL5	operating	gas	800	combined cycle	no	2007	–
Unit VL6	cancelled	coal - bituminous	460	ultra-supercritical	–	2017	–
Unit VL7	cancelled	gas	900	combined cycle	not found	–	–

CHP is an abbreviation for Combined Heat and Power. It is a technology that produces electricity and thermal energy at high efficiencies. Coal units track this information in the Captive Use section when known.

Table 3: Unit-level ownership and operator details

Unit name	Owner	Parent
Unit 1	Tirreno Power SpA [100.0%]	–
Unit 3	Tirreno Power SpA [100.0%]	–
Unit 4	Tirreno Power SpA [100.0%]	–
Unit VL5	Tirreno Power SpA	Engie SA [50.0%]; Energia Italiana SpA [50.0%]
Unit VL6	Tirreno Power SpA [100.0%]	–
Unit VL7	Tirreno Power SpA	Engie SA [50.0%]; Energia Italiana SpA [50.0%]

Background on existing power station

The plant originally included four coal units dating to 1970 and 1971. Unit 1 has been configured to an 800 MW combined cycle natural gas-fired unit, known as VL5. Two 330 MW coal-fired units, known as UL3 and VL4, were closed down by a judge in 2014 for exceeding pollution limits, and the Tirreno Power SpA Board of Directors decided to keep the coal-fired units closed in June 2016. The 800 MW gas unit is still operating.

Renovation and expansion

Plans to construct a new high-efficiency coal-fired unit at Vado Ligure and modernize the existing sections to improve environmental performance obtained the VIA (Environmental Impact Assessment) from the Ministry for Environment in 2009.

The proposal for continued operation of the plant's coal-fired section raised concern among community groups, who noted health risks associated with the plant's extreme proximity to schools, hospitals and other downtown businesses and cited figures showing that deaths from lung cancer in Vado Ligure were nearly twice the national average (112 per 100,000 in Vado Ligure vs. 57 in Italy as a whole).

In March 2012, the Italian Ministry of Economic Development authorized the plant expansion and modernization project, which provided for possible overhaul of the two existing 330-MW coal-fired units at the site once the new 460 MW coal unit was completed. Conversion of the first existing unit would be authorized automatically upon start-up of the new 460 MW unit. Overhaul of the second unit would depend on verification by Liguria Region of emission results achieved by Tirreno Power. Tirreno Power said the adoption of ultra-supercritical technology would allow the new unit, called VL6, to achieve 47.4% efficiency.

In March 2014, an Italian judge ordered the shutdown of Vado Ligure's two existing coal-fired units due to environmental concerns. Plant operator Tirreno Power issued a statement indicating that it had always operated responsibly and in full compliance with the law.

However, renewable energy advocate QualEnergia reported that the closure was due to violations of emissions limits stipulated in the plant's AIA (Autorizzazione Integrata Ambientale) environmental permit. In making his case against the plant, prosecuting attorney Francantonio Granero cited research indicating that emissions from Vado Ligure had been responsible for 400 deaths between 2000 and 2007 and over 2000 cases of respiratory illness requiring hospital visits between 2005 and 2012.

On March 15, 2014, the Italian Ministry of the Environment issued an injunction requiring Tirreno Power to begin construction of its new VL6 unit within 30 days or risk losing its AIA environmental permit. According to the injunction, Tirreno Power's 'lack of respect for the timetable' constituted a violation of the AIA. On April 9, 2014 Tirreno Power filed an appeal with the regional administrative court TAR Lazio requesting permission to postpone construction of the VL6 expansion pending results of a scheduled May 15 hearing in which TAR Lazio will hear other appeals filed against the Vado Ligure plant by environmental groups and by the cities of Vado Ligure and Quiliano.

As of October 2014 the two coal units are still closed, and Tirreno was uncertain if the company could meet the environmental regulations.

In 2017 the project was called off.

Articles and Resources

Additional data

To access additional data, including interactive maps of the power stations, downloadable datases, and summary data, please visit the Global Coal Plant Tracker and the Global Oil and Gas Plant Tracker on the Global Energy Monitor website.