Liquid Releases Management Services
Enel constantly monitors its impacts on the areas affected by its activities, paying considerable attention to quality and quantity of liquid releases. Enel’s efforts to protect the basin are focused on reduced consumption of water and on chemical and biological purification of releases. In thermal power generation, biomonitoring surveys conducted in various sites of different countries indicate that the impacts (thermal and physical changes) of water releases from open-cycle cooling circuits and cooling towers are negligible.
The return of cooling waters to the recipient water bodies might cause a thermal disturbance near the release structure. Additionally, in some periods of the year, the water is chlorinated to control marine fouling. Consequently, the released waters may contain residual active chlorine.
Waters are carefully monitored. The surveys span multiple years, during which the possible impact of water releases on the marine biofauna is investigated.
Reports on the activities carried out so far show that releases from the plant do not induce significant and permanent changes in the surrounding marine environment.
Additionally, temperature increases do not cause eutrophication, even in the most confined parts of water bodies with less natural water mixing; the generated thermal gradient favors water circulation, by accelerating mixing.