HISTORY
The primacy of using geothermal energy for energy purposes is entirely Italian and dates back to the beginning of the twentieth century, in the province of Pisa, in Larderello, where the first geothermal plant in history was built. In reality, since prehistoric times humans have used volcanic products and utilized heat to treat food and enjoy the benefits of thermal baths.
In the 19th century, the French engineer and entrepreneur François Jacques de Larderel developed an innovative system to collect the natural steam emitted from lagoni, that is, the ground fissures from which boiling water and geothermal emanations gush forth. Thanks to the introduction of the “covered lagone“, a hemispherical masonry dome placed over these openings, the steam was channeled and used to extract boric acid from natural muds, as well as to fuel the boilers necessary for the extraction process.
Also at Larderello, Piero Ginori Conti lights the first five light bulbs powered by geothermal steam thanks to a machine composed of an alternating motor coupled to a dynamo. In 1913, the world’s first geothermal power plant was born in Italy: Larderello 1.
Starting from the 1950s, the Italian example in the use of geothermal energy was followed by numerous other nations.
In Larderello, inside the palace of Count de Larderel, the Museum of Geothermal Energy was established in the 1950s, which tells the story, developments and benefits of this resource. The museum is part of a geothermal tourist circuit, which has contributed to enriching Tuscany’s tourist offerings.
Larderello and the birth of Geothermal Energy
(from History of Pisa)