Greening of Geothermal Power: An Innovative Technology for Abatement of Hydrogen Sulphide and Mercury Emission

Perfect compatibility between geothermal plants and the development of the other resources of the territory (tourism, quality agriculture, etc.) is a key issue for the sustainability of the geothermal energy and its acceptance by the communities hosting the plants. Third Millennium geothermal projects are able to win this challenge. Integration in the landscape of power plants and related infrastructures, abatement of the gaseous emission and of the cooling tower drift, reduced noise level, etc., allow the preservation of natural beauties, environmental features and life quality of the people living near the plants. The invention of a proprietary technology (AMIS) for the abatement of hydrogen sulphide and mercury emission and its application both to new geothermal plants and to the retrofit of the existing one’s is a cornerstone of the New Geothermal Deal in Italy. Hydrogen sulphide is responsible of the bad smell often perceived in the geothermal areas. AMISis an environmentally friendly process because it usually doesn’t require the use of chemicals and doesn’t produce sulphur based by-products to be landfilled or recycled. At present, three power plants are equipped with AMIS systems. The results of two years of commercial operation are outlined.