Flavio Cattaneo and Terna energy saving "designer pylons"

Online, December 24, 2009 (Newswire.com) - Flavio Cattaneo speaks:"We are trying to change of the image of 'industrial soldiers' that pylons have today and move toward more elegant pylons inspired by leaves and trees. We are attempting to establish a dialogue with nature to have pylons dance with it". This is the objective, wrote Antonio Cianciullo in the Italian newspaper Repubblica, set by the architect Hugh Dutton, from the Rosental office in Turin. He was right on target ranking first in the contest for designer pylons launched by Terna, the company that manages 60 thousand km of high voltage and extra high voltage grid that aims at modernizing the image of electricity infrastructures.

The shape is not all, but is important. "We decided to involve these well known designers since the country requires large investments in the sector and these should be made aiming at quality", explained Flavio Cattaneo, Terna's CEO. "By decongesting the grid, we will avoid wasting 1.2 billion kW a year: a margin exists for obtaining savings on electricity bills while also improving the power lines' impact on the landscape. Moreover, we have launched a clear signal: modernizing the country can lead to economic, aesthetic and environmental advantages."

In the last year, Terna invested 850 million euros. An additional 6 billion will be allocated in the next decade The objective is to eliminate bottlenecks that render part of the electricity production unused and create the need for building new plants. A need that in the upcoming years will be relaunched by the development of renewable sources that require a greater grid ramification.

"Grid congestions can be quantified into1.5 billion euros a year that are paid through electricity bills", added Cattaneo. "In order to rebalance the situation, we will spend 480 million euros a year. What remains will be an economic savings of 1 billion euros a year: a net advantage that means avoiding to build new power plants. Eliminating grid congestion is equal to building 8 new 1000 megawatt plants. The results are clear".

These were the comments collected by Repubblica from the protagonists in the sector.

The inspiring theme of the international contest "Pylons of the future" is to blend innovation, technology, design and respect for the environment for the national electricity grid's sustainable development. The crucial element represented by this challenge, both for existing power lines as well as for new ones, is the pylon: minimizing its impact, investing in its technological development, sharing project location, studying effects and consequences on biodiversity, experimenting its "artistic innovation". Terna's fundamental turning point for the environment: launching "10 projects for sustainable development".

This initiative represents the electricity grid's largest environmental reform project ever planned in Italy: removing over 1200 km of power lines by replacing them with 450 km of new high technology power lines. An enormous challenge with record-breaking numbers starting from the 1 billion euros invested, agreements with 11 Regions, 20 Provinces, 100 Municipalities, 13 Mountain Community and Park Associations. 4,000 hectares of freed territory (an area as large as the Aspromonte Park) and over 60 thousand tons of recovered materials, equal to the weight of nearly 10 Eiffel towers. The launching of the "10 projects" represented the point of arrival for an initiative that began at the end of 2005, but also the point of departure for a new approach that Terna has wished to pursue.

This news was brought by Terna's web magazine "Notizie tra le Linee" and the Italian newspaper Repubblica.