Methanization of Sardinia Project

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Methanization of Sardinia Project is a natural gas pipeline system under construction on the island of Sardinia in Italy.

Location

The proposed pipeline would run north across Sardinia from Cagliari to Porto Torres, with branch pipelines leading off the main pipeline to Carbonia, Nuoro, Bosa and Olbia.[1][2][3]

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Pipeline Details

  • Operator: ENURA S.p.A.[2]
  • Owner: ENURA S.p.A.[2]
  • Parent: Snam [55%], Gasdotti Italia S.p.A [45%][4]
  • Capacity:
  • Length: 573 km / 356.05 miles[5]
    • Northern Section: 340 km[6]
    • Southern Section: 231 km[7]
  • Diameter: 10, 26, 8, 16, 6 inches[5]
  • Cost: Estimated at €600 million[8]
  • Status: Under construction[9]
  • Start Year: 2025[5]

Background

In May 2019, a new project for a 573 kilometre gas pipeline in Sardinia was presented by Enura, a joint venture between Snam - Italy’s leading gas transport company - and Società Gasdotti Italia. The project is being backed by the regional government of Sardinia.[10] The first, southern portion of the project from Cagliari to Oristana received clearance from Italy’s environment ministry in the summer of 2020, but has not yet been authorised by the national economic development ministry.[8] In addition to the pipeline, a network of regasification plants, coastal depots and city grids would create the capacity to transport up to 1.8 billion cubic meters of gas across Sardinia. The project costs of approximately €600 million look likely to be paid for by taxpayers through levies in their future energy bills. Arera, the state regulator for the energy sector, has pointed out that the costs can be spread across Italy as whole but only if a special government bill is introduced. Otherwise, Sardinian citizens alone will have to pay for the project.[11]

According to the SNAM "Ten-year development plan of the natural gas transmission network 2017 – 2026," the Methanization of Sardinia project consists of "a main backbone belonging to the National Network for a length of approximately 380 km and having a diameter of DN650 / DN400 and the pipelines belonging to the Regional Network for about 190 km with diameter DN400 / DN150 that will allow to reach the main market areas of the Region." Implementation of the project was expected by 2021, but the European Network of Transmission System Operators for Gas (ENTSOG) expects the project to commence operation in 2025.[5]

ENTSOG lists the project as "TRA-N-1194".[5] Although the 2020 TYNDP distinguishes seven phases, the 2022 iteration breaks it down into 5. Although additional details are yet unavailable, the proposed total length of the pipeline has increased to 681 km.[12]

Sections of the project

The Ministero della transizione ecologica splits the project into two sections: Methanisation Sardinia - Northern section[6] and Methanisation Sardinia - Southern section.[7]

Northern Section

The northern section is described by the Italian ministry as "the laying of two new DN 650 (26 ") pipelines from Palmas Arborea to Porto Torres, for a total of 126.495 km and a DN 400 (16") pipeline from Macomer to Olbia, with a length of 104.480 km and the laying of secondary pipelines functionally connected to the main lines with a length of approximately 110km."[6]

Included in this section are the following pipelines:[13]

  • a 26 inch diameter pipeline from Macomer to Porto Torres
    • an 8 inch diameter lateral pipeline to Alghero
    • an 8 inch diameter lateral pipeline to Sassari
  • a 16 inch diameter pipeline from Macomer to Olbia
    • a 6 inch diameter lateral pipeline to Theisi
    • a 6 inch diameter lateral pipeline to Suni
  • a 26 inch diameter pipeline from Palmas Arborea to Macomer
    • a 16 inch diameter lateral pipeline to Nuoro
    • a 16 inch diameter lateral pipeline to Siamanna

A map of the northern section can be found on the Ministero della transizione ecologica map viewer platform.[1][13]

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Southern Section

The southern part is described as "the laying of the Cagliari - Palmas Arborea pipeline, the Vallermosa - Sulcis methane pipeline and the Oristano terminal connecting pipeline for a total length of 150.570 km and the laying of eight secondary lines for a length of 79.995 km."[7]

Included in this section are the following pipelines:[13]

  • a 16 inch diameter from Vallermosa to Sulcis
  • a 26 inch diameter from Cagliari to Palmas Arborea
    • a 6 inch diameter lateral from Capoterra to Sarroch
    • a 10 inch diameter lateral to Monserrato
    • a 10 inch diameter lateral to Serramanna
    • a 6 inch diameter lateral to Villacidro
    • a 6 inch diameter lateral to Sanluri
    • a 6 inch diameter lateral to Guspini
    • a 6 inch diameter lateral to Terralba
  • a 26 inch diameter lateral to Orisrato

A map of the south section can be found on the Ministero della transizione ecologica map viewer platform.[1]

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The renewable energy alternative for Sardinia

Rather than progressing with the island's gasification via the pipeline project, clean energy advocates are proposing that Sardinia's excellent wind (onshore and offshore) and solar resources should be developed further. A study published in August 2020 by the Politecnico di Milano university and commissioned by WWF found that 100% of Sardinia’s energy needs could be met by renewable energy by 2050. The study projects that this would require Sardinia's total wind and solar capacity to rise by approximately ten times the current level, to roughly 20 gigawatts.[8]

Incorporating Hydrogen

In 2022, Italgas announced plans for an "end-to-end green hydrogen project" that will be integrated into the pipeline network being built in Sardinia. They plan to have the hydrogen produced in Sardinia through the use of energy blended with natural gas to make use of the pipelines built through the methanization project.[14]

Opposition

Fridays For Future Cagliari, MetaNO, and other groups in Sardinia have organized events, written op-eds, and taken actions in opposition to the Methanization of Sardinia Project.[15] MetaNO claims that five municipalities -- Olzai, Villanovaforru, Tergu, Ussaramanna, and Aggius -- have demonstrated opposition to the project.[16]

Articles and resources

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 "Map Viewer". sinva.minambiente.it. Retrieved 2020-10-09.
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 "Piano decennale di sviluppo della rete di trasporto del gas naturale 2020-2029 (p. 12 & p. 57)" (PDF). Snam Rete Gas S.p.A. January 31, 2020.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  3. European Network of Transmission System Operators for Gas (October 2020). "TYNDP 2020 - MAP – Transmission" (PDF). ENTSOG. Retrieved December 4, 2020.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  4. O'Brian, Heather (Nov 3rd, 2021). "Why Sardinia's gas plans make little climate or economic sense". Energy Monitor. Retrieved Jun 30th, 2022. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |access-date= and |date= (help)CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  5. 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 European Network of Transmission System Operators for Gas (2020). "TYNDP - Annex A - Projects Tables RPJ007_NS_2020 - entsog". ENTSOG. Retrieved September 16, 2020.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  6. 6.0 6.1 6.2 "Metanizzazione Sardegna - tratto Nord - Info - Valutazioni e Autorizzazioni Ambientali - VAS - VIA - AIA". va.minambiente.it (in italiano). Retrieved 2021-08-19.
  7. 7.0 7.1 7.2 "Metanizzazione Sardegna - tratto Sud - Info - Valutazioni e Autorizzazioni Ambientali - VAS - VIA - AIA". va.minambiente.it (in italiano). Retrieved 2021-08-19.
  8. 8.0 8.1 8.2 Heather O’Brian, "Why Sardinia’s gas plans make little climate or economic sense", Energy Monitor, Oct. 6, 2020
  9. "Medea: in esercizio altri 140 km di rete | Italgas". Italgas. 2021-07-06. Retrieved 2021-08-20.
  10. "La Sardegna sblocca il dossier sul metanodotto", Italia Oggi, Jul. 3, 2019
  11. "Sardinia’s ‘gas rush’ and what it means for Europe", Global Witness, Sep. 27, 2020
  12. "TYNDP | ENTSOG". www.entsog.eu. Retrieved 2022-06-30.
  13. 13.0 13.1 13.2 "Le mappe. Dorsale Nord Sud e derivazioni secondarie | No Metano in Sardegna". No Metano in Sardegna (in italiano). 2020-01-10. Retrieved 2021-08-20.
  14. "Experimenting hydrogen". Italgas. Retrieved 2022-06-30.
  15. "No Metano in Sardegna |". No Metano in Sardegna (in italiano). Retrieved 2021-08-20.
  16. "Il Comune di Aggius delibera contro la metanizzazione | No Metano in Sardegna". No Metano in Sardegna (in italiano). 2020-02-11. Retrieved 2021-08-20.

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