Since 1987, Esseco has focused on maximizing self-generation to meet its energy needs by recovering heat from sulfur combustion (CO2-free) and chemical reactions in various production processes.
This approach reduces reliance on fossil fuels, enhances energy efficiency, and minimizes environmental impact.
An impressive 86% of the electricity consumed by Esseco is self-generated, using both on-site and off-site facilities. This achievement is primarily due to high-pressure steam turbines, mainly fueled by sulfur combustion (60%).
Additionally, the trigeneration plant, integrated into the self-generation energy network, produces electricity (21%), heat, and cooling simultaneously using only methane gas combustion.
Since 2023, alongside on-site plants, self-generation has been supplemented by the first off-site photovoltaic installations (5%) under the Renewability Project. The total share of CO2-free energy, also supported by guarantees of origin, reaches 97%.
The plants are designed to optimize energy consumption by recovering thermal and electrical energy while reducing CO2 emissions. Launched in 2000, the Fincantieri condensing turbine, capable of steam extraction and condensate recovery in the boiler, has a production capacity of 5.4 MWe CO2-free, sourced from the sulfur furnace and sulfuric acid furnace.
Long present in the company, the KKK back-pressure steam turbine, with a capacity of 1.3 MWe, was installed in 1987. The upgrade of the power section in the electrical cabins and the turbine has increased energy production by 5% per ton of steam fed into the turbine, sourced from the sulfur furnace and sulfuric acid furnace.
In 2018, the methane trigenerator was introduced with a capacity of 1.2 MW. By producing electricity, steam, and cooling in a combined manner, it enables compensation and balance between different sulfur-based steam production and energy demands, optimizing the entire system and minimizing grid purchases.
The groundwork has been laid for installing photovoltaic plants at both production sites, alongside participation in the Renewability Project, which involves new installations in Sicily (2,688 MWh/year).
