Biomethane, race against time for 450 plants

It is less than a year until 30 June 2026, the date by which biomethane plants eligible for the 40% non-repayable incentives under the NRP must be ready under current conditions. "We estimate around 450 projects, to which the resources foreseen by the measure on biomethane development go: initially 1.7 billion euros, to which a further 640 million refinancing released at the beginning of July has been added, for a total of 2.3 billion committed, moving another 3.5 billion from private individuals," explains Piero Gattoni, president of the Italian Biogas Consortium (Cib) and, since May, of the European Biogas Association.

The auctions started in 2023, and the latest, the fifth one, the results of which were published in April, gathered almost half of the total participation: 'We were two years late. When all aspects, both economic and regulatory, were adjusted, the presence of companies made itself felt, especially in the last two auctions. However, the 4-500 plants that were to be built in three years now have to be built in one,' notes Gattoni. With all the difficulties, and bottlenecks, of the case. Allowing companies to be sure of reaching the end of the project is the goal of the consortium's requests: "We ask, and the Ministry of the Environment has already given an initial assessment, that there be more flexibility in the interpretation of the end of the work, to have more time for the connection to the grid, a part that is not totally dependent on the contractor doing the project. The second request is to have more time to complete initiatives: it would give companies more planning possibilities. It would put less strain on the industry's ability to realise a large number of complex construction sites in a short period of time. The government is working to evaluate this deadline. However, it is an issue that concerns all measures and also other countries: the response calls for an overall review,' he explains.

On the horizon, there remains the need for post-NRP support measures for a sector that is taking off: 'These projects have shown development potential and concrete investments. So much so that they have received additional funds from Pnrr that were shifted from other measures that had not received an adequate response from the productive world. If they are not completed, we must give continuity to a system that has already yielded positive results, because the real target remains the 5.7 billion cubic metres of biomethane envisaged by the Pniec,' notes Gattoni.

The latest figures on Italian production capacity now stand at around 750 million cubic metres per year. The first plant incentivised with NRP funds was inaugurated last 30 November at the Bagnod farm in Piverone (Turin): it had participated in the first auction. In recent months there has been an acceleration. Bts (with Eiffel Gaz Vert) announced that it had received a financing line from Deutsche Bank of EUR 208 million for ten plants. Elevion Chechi signed an agreement with Ab to build five poles for a total of EUR 50m. The Spanish company Solarig has a plan to 2030 in Italy for a total of EUR 300 million for twenty plants. Axpo and Siram Veolia have entered the sector.

Also: Retina (Actarus Renewables, Eren Industries and Macquarie Capital) is preparing to build 21 biomethane plants in the south, between Lazio and Campania: it has already received a funding package of around EUR 240 million out of a total that could reach EUR 600 million. Bioenerys (Snam) has 300 million in investments to 2026 with 39 projects in Emilia, Lombardy, Veneto and Friuli. CH4T (Suma Capital) recently obtained a EUR 100 million project financing from Bbva for the conversion of seven biogas plants in Italy to biomethane. The Confederation of Beet Growers-Cgbi is committing to commissioning eight plants with a production capacity of 20 million cubic metres per year and 90 million investment by June 2026. Nexta Capital Partners invested EUR 20m by acquiring 40% of Agrigas with a focus on the conversion of its biogas plant, while Quercus Real Assets (with Elionia) closed a EUR 76m loan for three plants. Albe (jv between Alia and Belvedere) announced a EUR 30m loan for a biomethane hub in Peccioli (Pisa) from waste wet waste.