Biomethane, Edison's plant in the Pavia area connected to the Italgas network

Italgas and Edison have completed in Zinasco (Pavia) the activation of the connection to the Italgas distribution network of a plant owned by Edison for the production of biomethane from Forsu (organic fraction of solid urban waste) and organic waste from the agro-food sector through a process of anaerobic digestion and subsequent purification of the biogas. The renewable gas obtained, equivalent to fossil gas, is then fed into the Italgas distribution network after a reception and quality control system and is destined for the decarbonisation of the transport sector.

The infrastructure will allow about 2 million cubic metres per year of biomethane to be fed into the Italgas network. A quantity that could satisfy the average annual consumption of about 2 thousand families in the area. The construction of the work also required the laying of a new 320-metre-long section of network.

"Biomethane is the most immediate and concrete response to the need to accelerate the path of decarbonisation of consumption, as well as enhancing the industrial and agricultural supply chains of the territories," commented Pier Lorenzo Dell'Orco, CEO of Italgas Reti. "The commissioning of the Zinasco connection confirms the strategic importance of the widespread presence of a digital network such as that of Italgas, which, by guaranteeing the availability of the network, stimulates the development of biomethane and the circular economy, to the benefit of the territory and its inhabitants.

"Thanks to plants like the one in Zinasco, we are making a concrete contribution to the decarbonisation of the hard-to-abate sectors and to the development of circular supply chains in the territories," added Fabrizio Mattana, executive vice-president Gas Asset at Edison. "Biomethane is for us an asset for industrial growth that is synergic with other activities of the group and we have the ambition to grow in size. We expect new connections already in the coming months and the consolidation of the collaboration with Italgas for an efficient and timely connection of the plants to the distribution network".

There are currently 14 biomethane production plants already connected to the Italgas network. The goal is to reach a feed-in capacity of 1.2 billion cubic metres per year by 2031.