Bio-methane production in Italy: a new agreement
The fact that bio-methane production in Italy continues to grow is reflected by the significant amount of investment earmarked for that sector over the last year; the primary aim is to reduce Italy’s reliance on imported gas in light of the current precarious geopolitical situation in Europe.
The government’s current objective is to bring national bio-methane production to around 2 billion cubic metres per year, which is four times the present level, by the year 2026. This is an ambitious target but, thanks to funding of over 1.7 billion euros made available through the PNRR (National Recovery and Resilience Program) and the recent agreement between the National Coldiretti Confederation and Italgas, it seems to be within reach.
Why choose bio-methane as an energy source?
Bio-methane is a renewable natural gas, produced via a process involving the anaerobic digestion of biodegradable materials. Considering that it is composed mainly of methane (CH₄), it is almost identical to its homonymous fossil fuel equivalent, but it has the added bonus of not generating emissions which are harmful to the environment.
Bio-methane production in Italy mainly focuses on obtaining the benefits, which can be summarised as follows:
- renewability: it is a renewable energy source, as it is produced from biodegradable materials such as organic waste, animal manure, energy crops and other biological waste;
- multiple uses: it can be used in many different contexts, including transport (as fuel for CNG natural gas vehicles), heating and electricity production. Its versatility means it can replace natural gas obtained from non-renewable sources in many sectors;
- ease of integration into the gas network: it can easily be integrated into existing natural gas networks, facilitating the transition to sustainable energy sources, without requiring any major modifications to infrastructure.
Furthermore, it is important to note that the construction of new bio-methane production plants will contribute greatly to boosting employment and economic development in the local areas, especially in rural districts, which have a higher concentration of biomass sources.
Details of the agreement on bio-methane production in Italy
There are many challenges to be faced if the target of 2 billion cubic metres per year is to be achieved and, despite the PNRR funding, many hurdles still remain. Nevertheless, the recently signed agreement between Coldiretti and Italgas on bio-methane production in Italy mentioned above will play an important role. It mainly focuses on three specific principles:
- the creation of new processing plants;
- the conversion of pre-existing biogas production plants to bio-methane;
- connection and distribution via the national network.
More specifically, the agreement stipulates that Coldiretti will take on the job of encouraging its members to take part in informative training initiatives regarding the properties of bio-methane, designed to build awareness of its advantages among business leaders and convince them to use it as a primary resource. Coldiretti will also be tasked with mapping existing biogas plants and programming their conversion to bio-methane.
Italgas will be in charge of simplifying the bureaucratic procedures required for connection of the new plants to its networks, with a particular focus on regulations and costs. It will also be tasked with increasing the gas capacity of local distribution networks.
The new protocol will therefore mark a historic turning point in Italian energy production and, if this opportunity is used well, it will make a huge difference to the drive to reach European policy targets of net zero emissions.
Translated by Joanne Beckwith
