The first will be operational in November: guarding against nitrate pollution of the territories. In the initiative Actarus Renewables and Eren Industries with Macquarie Capital
Retina is preparing to build 21 biomethane plants in the south, between Lazio and Campania. The holding company, which has several special-purpose companies dedicated to the different plants, brings together investments from Actarus Renewables, Eren Industries and Macquarie Capital. For the first nine plants, worth about EUR 300 million - and for which construction has started in September 2024 with Novara-based Techbau as Epc contractor - the company has received a financing package of about EUR 240 million from a pool of banks including Bnp Paribas, Ing Bank, Intesa Sanpaolo, Société Générale and UniCredit, with the support of Sace, which has issued the Archimede Guarantee to support infrastructure and production investments. Translated with DeepL.com (free version)
Another 12 plants
The new plants all benefit from the Pnrr capital and tariff incentive (they participated in the third dedicated call for tenders, provided for by the Ministerial Decree of 15 September 2022). They will be built in Velletri (Rome), Pontinia and Terracina (Latina), Sessa Aurunca (two plants), Pignataro Maggiore (two plants), Pietravairano and Dragoni (all in the province of Caserta). The first will come into operation in November 2025, the last in March 2026. In addition to this first group, there is a pipeline of another 12 plants, worth around EUR 300 million, in Lazio, Campania, Puglia and Molise, for a total investment of EUR 600 million. The construction of the first of this second pipeline will begin in April; the goal is to have them covered by the Pnrr incentive and thus complete the work by 30 June 2026. A boost to biomethane in the South for a technology that has traditionally been developed in the North.
Biomethane, CO2, fertilisers
The project envisages the treatment of waste biomasses of agricultural origin - 60 per cent cattle and chicken droppings and waste pomace from oil processing - through a coupled anaerobic and aerobic process that allows the production of biomethane, fed directly into the Italian gas transmission and distribution network, C02 of organic origin and organic fertilisers.
"Each plant per year will process around 100,000 tonnes of biomass input, producing 4,235,000 cubic metres of biomethane, 6,000 tonnes of CO2 and an organic soil conditioner, which is derived from digestate. We are in contact with several operators for supply agreements for both of these products,' explains Retina's Managing Director Franco Torra.
Nitrate pollution
Riccardo Paganelli, founder of Actaros Renewables, emphasises how the project also helps to reduce nitrate pollution of surface and deep water on farmland, for which Italy received a reasoned opinion from the EU Commission in 2023 for not fully complying with the Nitrates Directive (Directive 91/676/EEC): 'We are in the heart of buffalo production in Campania, with a high concentration of livestock farms. Here manure is dumped in small spaces. Our plant platform can offer proper treatment in critical areas like these. Not to mention that the biomethane and CO2 produced and intended for human use are saved from being released into the environment.
Source: ilsole24ore.com
