Clean and renewable energy from the Arno River: A feasibility study in the Province of Florence (northern Italy)

During a joint project between the Provincia di Firenze Administration and the Earth Sciences Department of the University of Firenze, the Arno riverbed was studied from the terminal portion of the Upper Valdano up to the Middle Valdarno (about 75 km). In particular, we analysed the preservation status of the existing weirs, which are nowadays the most important hydraulic works as concern the profile riverbed conservation and the fluvial dynamics. Such research was oriented to perform a practical analysis useful for a complete recovery of the hydraulic functionality and also for a possible renovation of some structures in order to produce clean electricity, following the current sensitivity in many national and international institutions. This analysis resulted in the determination of a different degree of feasibility, identifying from a technical point of view the most suitable weir and its annex for a quick recovery intervention and highlighting their economic impact on potential investors that might be attracted to the economic income related to the sale of electricity to the local network.