What is cogeneration?
Cogeneration is the combined process of producing electricity and heat. In traditional thermoelectric plants, only part of the energy contained in the fuel is converted into electricity. The remaining part, around 60 per cent, is lost in the form of heat.
In a cogeneration plant, this heat is recovered and used in industrial or civil processes (e.g. district heating).
Cogeneration plants improve efficiency in the production of electricity, reducing the consumption of primary energy (fuel) and consequently reduce the emission of pollutants while respecting the environment.
More than 50% of the energy requirements of our plants are represented by the maintenance of the temperature in the production departments and cold rooms, with a variation in heat requirements depending on the type of production.
Our cogeneration installations are located at the Biassono, Villasanta, Arcore, Felino and Sala Baganza plants for a total of 4.4 MWe installed with an annual amount of about 4,000 Energy Efficiency Certificates obtained.
Since 2014, the Biassono cogeneration plant generates approximately 10 GWh of electricity a year and fully uses the thermal energy it generates (e.g. domestic water, defrosting of cold rooms, cooking, pasteurisation, etc.).
Since 2016, a high-efficiency cogeneration power plant has also been operating at the Villasanta plant. In fact, Rovagnati produces both electrical energy, which is essential to meet the needs of the Villasanta plant, and thermal energy. Today, the Arcore, Felino and Sala Baganza locations are equipped with the same plants.
In the Villasanta plant, the recovered heat, i.e. the thermal energy produced thanks to cogeneration, is entirely given to Acsm Agam and directly injected into the district heating network (TLR) of Monza. This allows us to supply the city with about 9GWh of thermal energy, equal to the needs of 30 large apartment blocks.
