Sardinia, after coal comes gas

After coal, the green light is given to the energy issue with gas. And in Sardinia, the pressure is on for the construction of the infrastructure that will bring methane to the metallurgical and ceramic industries and the agri-food sector. It is no coincidence that just a few days ago the unions and the Region had urged the Government to approve the Prime Minister's Decree rewriting the island's energy history.

The provision envisages a floating LNG storage and regasification plant (FSRU) in the port area of Oristano with a net storage capacity adequate to serve the central-south industrial and thermoelectric segment, and users in the provinces of Oristano, Medio Campidano, Sulcis-Iglesiente and the metropolitan city of Cagliari. Not only that, 'in the hypothesis of the conversion to methane gas of the Fiume Santo thermoelectric power plant,' reads the provision, 'the construction of an FSRU in Porto Torres, with a net storage capacity adequate to serve the north industrial segment and the basin of consumption of the metropolitan city of Sassari'. Among other things, also 'a transport service of LNG by means of dedicated shuttle ships'. The absence of gas, as indicated by the regional energy plan, has led to diseconomies of 430 million euro per year.

"Sardinia is finally endowed with the regulatory instrument preparatory to the realisation of the network infrastructure for the distribution of methane gas," says Emanuele Cani, Regional Councillor for Industry. "The Dpcm will put us in a position to use methane gas, especially for industrial purposes, in the transitional phase towards the correct energy transition, guaranteeing a congruous and stable supply in favour of the industrial system, as well as favouring the use of the urban basins already realised for which significant public resources have been invested.

Now phase two is awaited, namely the realisation of the infrastructure. It is no coincidence that the executive emphasises that 'we must now be vigilant so that the works can be realised in the shortest possible time'. And, pressing for the works to be completed as quickly as possible is also Confindustria Sardegna. "It is now essential to move swiftly to the implementation phase,' stresses president Maurizio De Pascale, 'because the development of energy infrastructure is an essential condition for ensuring competitiveness, growth, and new employment prospects for our region.

Linked to the arrival of gas is the 300 million Eurallumina project, the first link in the aluminium chain, but also the development of the ceramics sector, which needs thermal energy to operate. As well as the agro-food industry.