Pioneering carbon neutrality: Italgas cutting-edge innovations in gas distribution
Image credit: Italgas
Italgas Group stands at the forefront of the gas distribution sector, promoting technological neutrality with gas remaining a vital component of the global energy mix.
Managing an extensive network of over 83,000km and serving approximately 8 million redelivery points, Italgas, with significant investments and ownership in local gas distribution companies throughout Italy and Greece, is the third largest gas distributor in Europe, responsible for the annual dispatch of more than 8 billion m3 of gas.
Beyond its core distribution activities, the company provides energy efficiency solutions, water supply services and digital solutions for both internal operations and external enterprises.
Navigating the ‘energy trilemma’ — balancing ecological transition, security of supply, and competitiveness — presents a major challenge for the energy sector. Italgas is committed to addressing this challenge by integrating renewable gases such as biomethane and green hydrogen into its operations.
These renewable gases are pivotal in enhancing the flexibility and security of energy systems while keeping costs manageable. In line with the EU’s REPowerEU plan, Italgas aims to reduce reliance on Russian gas, with renewable gases projected to replace over 100 billion m3 of Russian gas by 2030.
As part of its strategic investments, Italgas is focused on modernising and repurposing its gas networks through digital integration to support the distribution and injection of green gases. The company believes that achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2050 requires a diverse approach, rejecting the idea that total electrification is the sole solution.
By 2024, Italgas’ networks, initially designed for methane, will be fully adapted to handle new gas blends, including biomethane, hydrogen and synthetic methane.
Italgas has performed over 200 feasibility assessments for biomethane connections and operates connections to three biomethane plants, with two reverse flow projects currently under development.
The company is also making strides in the hydrogen sector, as demonstrated by its power-to-gas (P2G) plant in Sardinia, which is set to produce 24t of hydrogen by 2025. This hydrogen will support public transportation, local dairy industries, and will be blended with natural gas for residential use.
Central to Italgas’ strategy is digital transformation, utilising IoT, big data, advanced analytics and artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance network management. Over the past six years, Italgas has executed several digital projects, including AI-driven tools for smart maintenance and methane emission reduction.
The company has also implemented innovative technologies, such as the Picarro Surveyor for gas leak detection and Nimbus, the H2 ready smart meter — one of the most advanced in the world. Nimbus excels in processing and measuring blends of methane and hydrogen at concentrations higher than any other model available.
Through these advancements, Italgas aims to further enhance the safety, efficiency, and reliability of its gas networks while advancing the broader energy transition.
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About Italgas
Italgas is a leading network tech company specialising in gas, water, energy efficiency and IT sectors. As the foremost operator in natural gas distribution in Italy and Greece, and the third largest in Europe, Italgas manages a network spanning over 81,000km, serving around 8 million customers. Through its subsidiaries in the water sector, the Group directly and indirectly serves 6.2 million people (10% of the Italian population), primarily in the Lazio, Sicily, and Campania regions.
Founded in 1837, the Group has nearly two centuries of history and is universally recognised as the company that brought gas into Italian homes, significantly contributing to the country’s economic and social development. Today, Italgas is a forward-looking company with clear growth and development objectives. It has a significant investment plan aimed at progressively expanding services and enhancing efficiencies through the adoption of digital technologies. These innovations improve network management daily and prepare the gas infrastructure for the integration of renewable gases such as biomethane, synthetic methane and hydrogen.
