The coal file vol.1: The italian Coal

Dates

2015 - 2016
Author

Pietro Viti
Topics Contemporary Issues, Documentary

Brindisi, Civitavecchia, La Spezia, Vado Ligure: four cities, four big coal plants. Today the impact of the coal in the italian and european energetic production is still strong.

THE EUROPEAN COAL

Energy industry today

In 1951, after World War II, the idea of Europe begins with the birth of the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC).

Today the European Union (EU) is a completely different institution, but the importance and the impact of the coal in the italian and european energetic production is still strong, despite new technologies and many alternatives.

Worldwide, even now the 44% of the world CO2 emissions are related to coal burning processes. Germany is the 7th major importer of coal for energy production in the world, Poland produce the great majority of his energy from thermal coal plants, and in Italy the coal burning processes are growing together with renewable energies.

THE ITALIAN COAL

Brindisi, Civitavecchia, La Spezia, Vado Ligure: these four cities host the biggest and most problematic thermoelectric coal plants in Italy.

The area of the big plants is explored, dismantled, observed in order to understand the impact and the permanent presence of the coal energy production on the italian territory, focusing on landscape, environment, and geopolitical issues.

© Pietro Viti - Image from the The coal file vol.1: The italian Coal photography project

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Federico II coal power plant.The embankment that separates the coal warehouse from the fields surrounding the plant. Cerano, Brindisi, 2015.

© Pietro Viti - Federico II coal fired thermal plant, the second biggest coal plant in Europe. Cerano, Brindisi, 2015.

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Federico II coal fired thermal plant, the second biggest coal plant in Europe. Cerano, Brindisi, 2015.

© Pietro Viti - The cooling water spilled from the power plant to the Adriatic sea. Cerano, Brindisi, 2015.

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The cooling water spilled from the power plant to the Adriatic sea. Cerano, Brindisi, 2015.

© Pietro Viti - Image from the The coal file vol.1: The italian Coal photography project

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The farms in the area are highly damaged by the impact of the coal plant and the 12km long conveyor belt, that links the plant to the port, where the coal arrives by sea. Brindisi, 2015.

© Pietro Viti - Image from the The coal file vol.1: The italian Coal photography project

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Harvesting of food was forbidden in few fields around the plant because polluting agents were found in the soil, like in the area of this photo. Cerano, Brindisi, 2015.

© Pietro Viti - Image from the The coal file vol.1: The italian Coal photography project

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M. is born in a family of farmers in Cerano (Brindisi), in the italian south. The main income of the family is related to the artichokes cultivation. The farms in the area are highly damaged by the impact of the coal plant and the 12km long conveyor belt, that links the plant to the port, where the coal arrives by sea. Cerano, Brindisi, 2015

© Pietro Viti - Image from the The coal file vol.1: The italian Coal photography project

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The southern area of the Federico II coal plant, where the two domes of the big new coal wharehouse are visible. Cerano, Brindisi, 2015

© Pietro Viti - Image from the The coal file vol.1: The italian Coal photography project

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Torrevaldaliga is the area of the two power plants of Civitavecchia. The Tirreno Power plant, the southern one, is fired by gas, and the northern plant, owned by Enel Spa, is fired by coal. Torrevaldaliga, Civitavecchia, 2015

© Pietro Viti - Image from the The coal file vol.1: The italian Coal photography project

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An access to the sea on the northern coastline of Civitavecchia. Towards the horizon cargo ships are heading to the harbour and the dock of the power plant. The impact of the coal arriving by the sea is catastrophic for all the flora and fauna of the Tirrenian sea. Civitavecchia, 2015

© Pietro Viti - Image from the The coal file vol.1: The italian Coal photography project

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High voltage pylons in the plants area. An average of 30% of the yearly italian electric energy production comes from coal burning processes. Torrevaldaliga, Civitavecchia, 2015.

© Pietro Viti - Image from the The coal file vol.1: The italian Coal photography project

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The port of Civitavecchia was founded during the roman empire in 108 A.D. and is one of the most ancient harbour in Europe. The strategic relevance of the commercial port was one of the reasons that has determined the conversion in 2010 of the local oil-fired energy plant to a coal-fired one. The impact of the coal arriving by the sea is catastrophic for all the flora and fauna of the Tirrenian sea. Civitavecchia, 2015.

© Pietro Viti - A go-kart track just outside Torrevaldaliga Nord coal plant. Torrevaldaliga, Civitavecchia, 2015.

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A go-kart track just outside Torrevaldaliga Nord coal plant. Torrevaldaliga, Civitavecchia, 2015.

© Pietro Viti - The tall chimney of the “Eugenio Montale” coal plant, in the industrial zone of La Spezia. La Spezia, 2015.

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The tall chimney of the “Eugenio Montale” coal plant, in the industrial zone of La Spezia. La Spezia, 2015.

© Pietro Viti - Image from the The coal file vol.1: The italian Coal photography project

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The area called “Stagnoni”, where the vegetation cover some of the infrastructures of the power plant and hides the big, uncovered coal wharehouse. La Spezia, 2015.

© Pietro Viti - Image from the The coal file vol.1: The italian Coal photography project

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The pier of the Enel coal plant in La Spezia. Untill the early 1900 the mani activity of this area, called Fossamastra, was mussel farming and bathing. La Spezia, 2015.

© Pietro Viti - Image from the The coal file vol.1: The italian Coal photography project

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The big coal wharehouse of the Enel coal plant in the area of Stagnoni., very close to the coastline. Without any covering, the coal dust flies away for many kilometers from La Spezia. La Spezia, 2015

© Pietro Viti - Image from the The coal file vol.1: The italian Coal photography project

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The coal goes from the pier to the “Eugenio Montale” coal plant crossing this overpass, that links the city center to the highway. La Spezia, 2015.

© Pietro Viti - Image from the The coal file vol.1: The italian Coal photography project

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G. is a craftsman who lived for years inside the “May Day” squat, inside the area of the Enel coal plant in La Spezia. The area of the squat was the dining hall of the factory, and actually it hosts a little community, some workshops and social activities. La Spezia, 2015

© Pietro Viti - A sport field on the seafront of Vado Ligure. Vado Ligure, Savona, 2015

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A sport field on the seafront of Vado Ligure. Vado Ligure, Savona, 2015

© Pietro Viti - Image from the The coal file vol.1: The italian Coal photography project

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The coal plant of Vado Ligure was closed in 2014 for a judicial procedure related to the air pollution in the area of Savona (Liguria). Situated in an highly populated coastline area, this is the first case in Italy that a coal plant closes for pollution. The little town is still intimidated by the presence of the two big smokestack just behind the town center. Vado Ligure, Savona, 2015.

© Pietro Viti - Image from the The coal file vol.1: The italian Coal photography project

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The pier of the cargo ships (coal and gas) next to the seafront of Vado Ligure, close to the town center. Vado Ligure, Savona, 2015.

© Pietro Viti - The area of the power plant, just behind the town center. Vado Ligure, Savona, 2015.

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The area of the power plant, just behind the town center. Vado Ligure, Savona, 2015.

© Pietro Viti - Image from the The coal file vol.1: The italian Coal photography project

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The coal conveyor belt, passing over a commercial and residential area, linking the harbour to the coal warehouse. Vado Ligure, Savona, 2015.

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