Hera Group, as the lead partner, in collaboration with Saipem, has been selected to receive funding under the fourth call for mid-scale projects from the EU Innovation Fund. Once the allocation is finalised, the funding for the CO2 emission capture project will amount to nearly €24 million.
This industrial CO2 capture project is the first of its kind in Italy designed for waste-to-energy plants and among the first in Europe. It involves the application of Bluenzyme™?, Saipem's proprietary and modular solution enzymatic technology for capturing carbon dioxide in industrial processes of small and medium emitters.
The initiative was selected by European authorities for its high level of innovation, and its potential replicability in other waste-to-energy plants and other hard-to-abate industrial sectors in Italy, and more generally across Europe. The European Funds will cover a significant portion of the €53 million planned for the construction of the CO2 capture plant. Depending on opportunities arising from changes in the regulatory framework, the plant is expected to be operational by 2028.
“The recognition from the EU Innovation Fund confirms the high level of innovation in Saipem’s Bluenzyme™? technology for the decarboniation of small and medium emitters in hard-to-abate sectors with a unique project for Italy and in Europe that strengthens our company's role in supporting its clients in their journey towards carbon neutrality,” said Alessandro Puliti, CEO of Saipem.
The project will fully abate CO2 emissions from the Ferrara waste-to-energy plant
CO2 capture is a crucial decarbonisation tool for waste-to-energy plants, and for now, the Herambiente plant in Ferrara has been identified as the most suitable. The project will enable the capture of approximately 90% of the emissions from one of the plant's two lines, amounting to 64 thousand tons of CO2 per year. As the remaining share of the CO2 emitted by the plant is biogenic in nature, the entire energy production from the waste-to-energy process sustainable and environmentally neutral. The captured CO2 will be transported via pipeline and stored in the depleted gas fields of the Adriatic.
The new CO2 capture plant will be entirely green, as it will exploit renewable energy, both generated from the waste-to-energy plant itself and from geothermal heat delivered through the multiutility’s district heating network. The enzymatic capture process, with a low environmental impact, can be powered by low-temperature heat, such as geothermal heat. Further CO2 emissions will therefore be avoided.
Hera Group's commitment to decarbonisation and the Climate Transition Plan
With this initiative, Hera Group, one of the main multiutilities in Italy, has reaffirmed its commitment to fostering and supporting the ecological transition of the areas it serves. The project represents one of the main internal levers outlined in the Hera Group's Climate Transition Plan aimed at reducing emissions with the goal of achieving Net Zero by 2050. Out of the €4.4 billion in investments planned by Hera Group in its industrial plan for the period 2023-2027, more than 30% are dedicated to projects that support decarbonisation.
“We achieved the highest score in the European Innovation Fund call: this confirms the highly innovative nature of this initiative. This is a very significant achievement, which sees us as pioneers in Italy with this industrial-scale CO2 capture solution, applied to waste-to-energy plants. As leaders in the environmental sector, we are paving the way for innovation in this field, leveraging investments and expertise," said Orazio Iacono, CEO of Hera Group.
"This is a safe technology and replicable in other plants in Italy and abroad, which combines circular economy activities aimed at material recovery with decarbonisation processes. With this solution, in a crucial sector like waste treatment and energy generation, we extend the lifespan of plants while increasing their resilience. This technology is among the main internal levers for reducing Scope 1 emissions outlined in our Climate Transition Plan."
"We are the first multiutility sector player in Italy and among the first in Europe to declare the Net Zero target for 2050 across all three Scopes: while being deeply rooted in the areas we serve, we feel more than any other company the need to create value, fostering sustainable community development and increasing the resilience of our assets through the enabling power of new technologies."