Coldiretti and Italgas sign MoU to replace a “quarter of fossil gas” with biomethane

Italgas and Italian agricultural lobby Coldiretti have signed an agreement to develop the production of biomethane.
Italgas said that, following Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the European scenario has identified biomethane as the renewable source destined to replace a quarter of the fossil gas that came from Russia.
The agreement, which was signed on 14 November, commits the parties to implement actions aimed at supporting the construction of new biomethane production plants, the conversion of those currently producing biogas and their connection to gas distribution networks.
Coldiretti will deliver a map of existing biogas plants that are potentially subject to biomethane conversion; as well as guarantee the involvement of members in awareness-raising of biomethane's potential.
Italgas will contain the evaluation times of proposals for connecting new plants to its networks; identify and implement actions aimed at reducing connection costs; and promote a regulatory and legislative approach aimed at creating the conditions for a more effective distribution of network connection costs.
“Agriculture wants to be the protagonist of the production of renewable energy, which is why we are working together to counteract the increase in costs for families and businesses", said the president of Coldiretti, Ettore Prandini.
"The role of biogas within the scope of clean energy represents, in fact, an unavoidable starting point since from the use of crop and livestock waste it is possible to achieve the creation of systems for the distribution of biomethane at a national level to fuel not only machinery agricultural but also buses, trucks and ships as well as the cars of Italian families.
"In this way it will be possible to generate a virtuous cycle of resource management, cutting waste, reducing polluting emissions, creating new jobs and developing scientific research on green fuels".
“I think that biomethane is the ideal solution, and immediately available to the complex equation that Europe is dealing with: achieving an ecological transition that guarantees security of supply and competitiveness of costs of energy," commented CEO of Italgas, Paolo Gallo.
"With biomethane all this is possible: it has equivalent CO2 equal to zero and even negative in the case of CO2 sequestration. It is produced using a variety of scraps and waste and helps to contain costs thanks to its great production potential.
"With the signing of the memorandum of understanding, an important collaboration with Coldiretti begins which I am sure will allow us to give rapid concreteness and development to this new source of energy, creating value for the country".