In the energy field the term “biomass” is used to indicate various products of organic origin, mainly plant-based, and animal-based only to a smaller extent, which are used to produce energy, such as agricultural and forestry residues, wood industry waste, plants grown for energy purposes, farm waste and agrifood residues.

In 2014, Luxottica built its first biomass plant in Cencenighe (Italy) for the production of heat used in production processes and for the heating of workspaces. Thanks to this plant, the annual Co₂ emissions of the site, which was previously operated on diesel (one of the most harmful energy sources), were reduced by approximately 300 tons, for a total saving of 900 tons of CO₂ in three years.

The highly positive experience of Cencenighe was behind the decision taken in 2015, when the construction of an innovative biomass system was started in Agordo in collaboration with Enel. Built on land owned by Luxottica and adjacent to the site, it became operative in July 2016 and was inaugurated on September 22, 2017.

The new system has an electrical capacity of 199kWe and a thermal capacity of 1.2MWt. It meets 40% and 60% respectively of the Company’s heating and cooling requirements, with benefits for the entire site. In this way, the energy used for the air conditioning of workspaces or in some production phases, such as the heating of the new galvanising tanks or the air conditioning of the plastic moulding workshop, is “green”.

The new plant was born from an Enel and Luxottica’s idea to create an environmental and socially sustainable site in Agordo, an area of great natural value and part of the Italian Government “National Strategy for the Development of Internal Areas”. Besides, the prunings and residues, forest waste and wood residues required to fuel the biomass plant come from a short wood production chain.