The city's biggest park has been freed of 5.5 km of power lines and 21 pylons;
The pylons removed will be replaced by an 'invisible' underground line;

The operation is part of the Turin grid restructuring project involving an investment of 210 million euros;

Today, in the presence of Turin's mayor, Piero Fassino, Terna's CEO, Matteo Del Fante, and the national vice-president of Legambiente, Edoardo Zanchini, demolition works began for three old electricity lines dating back to the 1950s and passing through the Pellerina Park. It was from here, the biggest park in the city that the electrification of Turin began over 100 years ago. Once the dismantling of the lines is completed about 10 hectares of parkland - the equivalent of almost 15 football pitches - free of 5.5 km of overhead lines and 21 old pylons will be freed up for use by the residents of the city. Today, after the initial phases enabling the removal of the conductors, Terna began the demolition works of the pylons inside the Pellerina Park, which will be replaced by an 'invisible', entirely underground line. All the components of the pylons (steel, aluminium, glass, cement) which in some cases are over 50 metres tall, will be consigned to specialised recycling firms for their reintroduction into the production cycle.

This operation is part of the most extensive restructuring plan of Turin's electricity grid, which has become obsolete and is no longer able to meet the city's current energy requirements. A project in which Terna is investing a total of 210 million euros, with 120 million euros already spent, and which involves over 130 companies. The aim is to ensure a more efficient and secure electricity system for the regional capital, with an estimated saving for families and firms of over 50 million euros a year. The environmental benefits are substantial too: with the construction of just 7 km of new power lines, 58 kilometres of old overhead lines will in fact be demolished, with the number of conductors and pylons demolished outnumbering the new structures by eight to one.

Special focus has been given to the worksite phases: Terna and the Public Parks department are working together to minimise the inconvenience caused to Turin's residents. In fact, the excavations will have practically zero impact since the tree-lined zones and city parks are not affected by the works, while in the inner city areas the use of new technology, including remotely guided drilling, and synergy with existing construction sites will significantly reduce the impact of the works. It was precisely during excavation works carried out in 2013 that an underground air-raid shelter dating back to the Second world War was discovered. This was a discovery of considerable historic and cultural importance which would otherwise have remained hidden and which instead is now part of the city's heritage.

For the modernisation of Piedmont's electricity grid, Terna plans works amounting to 1.2 billion euros, leading to savings of about 250 million euros/year to the benefit of residents and businesses, thanks to the involvement of over 100 firms, mainly local, and over 500 workers. With over 4,500 kilometres of high-voltage and very-high-voltage electricity lines and 43 substations in the region, Terna also plans to build 200 kilometres of new electricity lines to replace the 460 kilometres of overhead lines dismantled.

Furthermore, at a national level, with over 9 billion euros of investments from 2005 to today across the National Transmission Grid, Terna has generated tangible savings to the tune of 6 billion euros, which will rise to 24 billion when the other development works planned for the Italian grid are completed. Currently, Terna has over 200 construction sites open throughout Italy, involving 750 companies and 4000 workers on a daily basis.

'Improving the efficiency of the electricity grids while minimising environmental impacts. A dual objective - emphasises Turin's mayor, Piero Fassino - certainly shared by the City of Turin and by Terna, as clearly shown by the work carried out in the Pellerina Park, where the high-voltage lines run underground and the dismantling and removal of the pylons after over half a century has begun. Today - Fassino added - any infrastructure modernisation works necessarily involve measures to safeguard and enhance the landscape. From this point of view, the collaboration between the City of Turin and Terna has produced, and will certainly continue to produce, positive results and will bring benefits both in terms of energy transmission and in terms of environmental quality for the entire community'.

'The project which begins today - declared Terna's CEO, Matteo Del Fante - is the result of ongoing dialogue with local institutions which began over ten years ago. This area has always shown particular awareness and a real spirit of collaboration making it a model for the entire nation and helping us to find solutions for technological grid development which is sustainable and which respects the environment.

'Today - said Edoardo Zanchini, the national vice-president of Legambiente - is a great day for the environment and for the residents of Turin, because thanks to this project the biggest city park has been freed of pylons. It is important to note that this restructuring and innovation project which also involves the electricity lines is beginning just a few days before the opening of the Climate Summit in Paris. The transition to an energy model focused on renewables also involves innovation in terms of forms of energy transmission and management, and involvement of local residents in decisions'.

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