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PROVVIDENZA

Hydro power plant in Emilia-Romagna, Italy. Approximate location 44.55, 11.1.

HydroEmilia-RomagnaItalypumped storage

PROVVIDENZA is a 139 MW hydro power station in Emilia-Romagna, Italy. It is operated by Enel SpA [100%]. Based on reported annual generation of 98 GWh, it can supply roughly 28k homes. It ranks #135 of 489 Italy power plants by installed capacity. Commissioned in 1962, it is around 64 years old — an older, legacy facility. As a non-combustion source, it has no direct CO₂ emissions from generation. In context, hydro supplies about 15.8% of Italy's electricity; the national grid averages 285 gCO₂/kWh (48.8% low-carbon) (2025).

139Legacy source-record capacity
98GWh reported / yr
28,028homes powered
1962commissioned (~64 yrs)

Plant data: WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0), id WRI1002931.

Data status

Known data

FacilityPROVVIDENZA WRI
CountryItaly · Emilia-Romagna WRI
Coordinates44.55, 11.1 WRI
FuelHydro WRI
MW installed capacity139 MW WRI source record; scope not independently normalised
OwnerEnel SpA [100%] WRI
Commissioned1962 WRI
Technologypumped storage WRI
GWh reported / yr98 GWh/yr WRI

Calculated from dataset

Capacity rank in country#135 of 489 calculated
Fuel-specific rank in country#26 of 58 calculated
Capacity vs country/fuel peers1.05× · 132 MW median · 58 peers calculated
Homes-powered equivalent28,028 calculated from reported generation
Climate13.0°C · HDD 2,255 derived from coordinates
Environmental severityC3 · 36/100 derived from coordinates

Not available

GWh reported / yrNot available not in dataset
CO₂ emissionsnot applicable not applicable

Known, modelled and calculated values are kept separate. Missing fields are shown as unavailable.

Data provenance

The capacity and fuel fields on this page are source-record values from the upstream open dataset. They are useful for identification and ranking, but they have not been upgraded to a 2026 registry/GEM-location verified value.

capacity: WRI Global Power Plant Database source-record (legacy); fuel: WRI source-record fuel

In context: how this plant compares

At 139 MW, PROVVIDENZA is around the median hydro plant in Italy (132 MW). Technically it is described as pumped storage. Hydropower converts the energy of falling or flowing water into electricity; output depends on rainfall and reservoir level, and large dams also provide grid balancing and storage.

Capacity comparison computed from the WRI Global Power Plant Database; fuel-type context is general engineering background.

Reported generation trend

2015: 153 GWh20152016: 103 GWh20162017: 98 GWh2017153 GWh

Annual generation (GWh), WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0).

Owner

Operated by Enel SpA [100%].

Local climate & thermal context

This hydro plant converts the energy of falling or flowing water through hydro turbines. It sits in a humid subtropical climate (Köppen Cfa) — Northern Hemisphere, latitude 44.5°N — which shapes how much energy it can produce and how its output varies through the year.

13.0°Cannual mean temp
2,255heating degree-days (base 18°C)
435cooling degree-days (base 18°C)
226 melevation

Monthly mean temperature

J: 3 °CJF: 5 °CFM: 8 °CMA: 12 °CAM: 16 °CMJ: 20 °CJJ: 23 °CJA: 23 °CAS: 19 °CSO: 14 °CON: 8 °CND: 4 °CD23 °C

Heating degree-days here run 8% below the median power plant in this dataset — a proxy for how much extra energy heated equipment must replace through its surfaces in winter.

Climate heat-demand index: 47/100 — this site sits in the mid third of the power plants we cover by heating degree-days.

Climate normals: WorldClim 2.1 (1970–2000 monthly normals, 10 arc-min, CC BY 4.0); zone: Köppen-Geiger world climate classification (Kottek et al. 2006, 0.5° grid). Degree-days & heat-demand index computed by PowerAtlas — a modelled heat-demand proxy, not a measured site figure.

Site climate & environmental severity

For a plant’s outdoor hardware — heat-recovery steam generators (HRSG), expansion joints, valves, flanges and their insulation — the local climate sets how fast unprotected steel and coatings degrade. This site sits in a moderately corrosive environment (estimated ISO 9223 class C3 — Medium), with humidity / wetness the leading environmental stress.

C3ISO 9223 corrosivity (indicative)
36/100environmental-severity index
20.3°Cseasonal temperature swing
94 kmdistance to coast

Higher environmental severity is exactly where protective removable insulation pays back most: a sheltered micro-climate slows corrosion, UV and thermal-cycling damage and extends outdoor hardware service life. This is an indicative site-climate context — not a condition assessment of any specific plant or operator.

Indicative estimate via the ISO 9223:2012 informative method (atmospheric corrosivity from temperature, time-of-wetness and airborne salinity), using WorldClim climate normals, the Köppen-Geiger class and coast distance. Indicative, not a measured corrosion rate.

How it compares & nearby plants

The #26 largest hydro power plant of 58 in Italy by capacity.

Italy has 58 hydro power plants in this dataset, together about 13,593 MW of capacity.

Nearby power plants

Location

Coordinates 44.55, 11.1 from WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0). View on OpenStreetMap.

Frequently asked questions

What type of power plant is PROVVIDENZA?

PROVVIDENZA is a 139 MW source-record hydro power plant in Emilia-Romagna, Italy, commissioned in 1962.

How much electricity does PROVVIDENZA generate?

PROVVIDENZA generates about 98 GWh of electricity per year.

How many homes can PROVVIDENZA power?

Its output is enough to supply roughly 28,028 homes.

Who operates PROVVIDENZA?

PROVVIDENZA is operated by Enel SpA [100%].

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