EN 
it
The methanisation of Sardinia is moving ahead with increasing momentum, with the construction of local LNG depots to replace the LPG and propane air depots used to supply the city's gas distribution networks. A few days ago, the plant in the municipality of Tissi (Sassari), built by CPL Concordia, a pioneer in the LNG sector in Italy, went into operation.
The Tissi plant follows the first Sardinian city network equipped with LNG already last summer in Quartu S. Elena, on the outskirts of Cagliari, by the company Isgas 33, of the Isgas Group. In a recent agreement, as reported by Staffetta Quotidiana, Italgas will take over the entire stake in Isgas33, of which it already holds 10%. Isgas33 has also completed the conversion from LPG to natural gas of the distribution network in the municipalities of Monserrato, Quartucciu, Settimo S. Pietro and Sinnai, serving a potential catchment area of over 31,000 resident households, which will also soon be supplied with LNG.
Since last summer, the LNG plant at the Argiolas Formaggi company in Dolianova (Cagliari), built by Liquigas, has also been operational. The plant is particularly innovative not only because it replaces the use of polluting fuel oil, but also because it introduces for the first time in Sardinia's industrial history the cogeneration technology (only possible with methane) widely used in continental Italy. With cogeneration, the same plant is able to produce both heat and electricity with significant industrial and environmental efficiencies.
However, Sardinia was also a pioneer in the sector at national level with one of the very first LNG plants installed at the Cooperativa Casearia 3 A in Arborea (Oristano), active since 2015 and built by CPL Concordia. This record will soon be relaunched at the Euro-Mediterranean level, with the forthcoming entry into service of the Higas coastal depot in the Port of Santa Giusta (Oristano). The depot is part of the Avenir LNG Group, world leader in LNG logistics, with tankers operating from South East Asia to South America. CPL Concordia also has a 10% stake in the Higas plant as does Gas and Heat, promoters of the initial project.
The Tissi network and plant are managed by Medea, part of the Italgas Group, a leader in the distribution of methane in Italy. By April, the municipalities of Usini, Uri and Ozieri (Sassari) will also be supplied with LNG. For the latter three, Medea is already building as many LNG depots. These conversions to methane follow those already completed in the municipalities of Putifigari (Sassari), Perdasdefogu Berchidda, Ittireddu and Urzulei (Nuoro).
The plants and networks already equipped with LNG are supplied by cryogenic tankers arriving in Sardinia from Livorno to Olbia; networks already set up for the use of methane, while waiting for LNG depots, are instead supplied by compressed methane tankers following the same route. LNG trucks are already circulating in Sardinia, with a range of up to 1,500 km, which are mostly refuelled at the ENI service station in Pontedra, the closest to the port of Livorno. LNG service stations on the island are planned by the Kilometro Blu company.
"Thanks to the conversions completed and those planned in the coming weeks," Medea CEO Francesca Zanninotti told ANSA, "more and more areas of Sardinia are being reached by natural gas. At the same time, as envisaged in our methanisation programme for the island, we have already built 815 kilometres of digital native networks in the areas under concession, equipped with integrated sensors and ready for the passage of fibre optics. The arrival of natural gas in Sardinia can provide important support to the local economy, giving new life to production activities and creating new jobs in related industries."
Source: Ansa
