The Sant’Antonio Hydroelectric Plant, nestled among the Alpine mountains surrounding the town of Bolzano, Italy, is an underground engineering marvel.
Val d’Auna Dam, Soprabolzano – (Photo: BBC SCIENCE FOCUS).
The plant harnesses the power of the Talvera River to generate sustainable energy.
Unlike traditional hydroelectric plants, for the first time in the world, most of the Sant’Antonio plant’s infrastructure is hidden deep underground.
Photographer Luigi Avantaggiato captured images around this modern renewable energy facility.
Val d’Auna Dam (Soprabolzano, Italy) supplies water to the Sant’Antonio power plant. The dam holds 400,000 cubic meters of water, which is channeled to the plant through a 1,500-meter deep and approximately 15-kilometer long underground pipeline.
Marco, an electrician, descends into the tunnel system during his shift at the Sant’Antonio Hydroelectric Plant – (Photo: BBC SCIENCE FOCUS)
The underground tunnel system hidden beneath Monte Tondo, approximately 2 km long – (Photo: BBC SCIENCE FOCUS)
A heat exchanger inside the conditioning tank of the Sant’Antonio Hydroelectric Plant. The heat exchanger cools the water in the tank before it flows back into the Talvera River – (Photo: BBC SCIENCE FOCUS)
The turbine hall of the underground hydroelectric plant, where water is converted into electricity. The turbines generate 90 MW of electricity, achieving an impressive annual capacity of 300 GWh – (Photo: BBC SCIENCE FOCUS)
The conditioning basin is divided into interconnected caverns, connected by metal platforms. The basin, with its caverns illuminated by energy-saving lighting, significantly reduces peak water flow downstream, making the riverbed much safer for wildlife and aquatic life – (Photo: BBC SCIENCE FOCUS)
Francesco, an electrician, installs guide rods to monitor water levels in the Sant’Antonio plant – (Photo: BBC SCIENCE FOCUS)
Water flowing into the underground conditioning basin of the Sant’Antonio Hydroelectric Plant. After modernization efforts were completed, the plant’s annual electricity output increased to 300 GWh, providing power to approximately 100,000 households – (Photo: BBC SCIENCE FOCUS)
The cavern basin shown here is an important part of the hydroelectric plant, controlling the flow of water and managing energy release in the turbine system – (Photo: BBC SCIENCE FOCUS)
A hydrological monitoring station to oversee the Talvera River area near Bolzano, Italy. The new conditioning basin in the plant has reduced flood risks on the river, making it safer for aquatic wildlife and local residents – (Photo: BBC SCIENCE FOCUS)
