A revolution rooted in the circular economy: thanks to separate waste collection, organic waste is fed into an anaerobic digestion process to produce biogas.
Biomethane: a clean resource of biological origin
So, what makes this source of methane “bio”? Quite simply, it’s how it is produced: not by drilling into deep underground deposits, but by fermenting organic waste in dedicated facilities. Biomethane can be produced continuously, it is inexhaustible, and production can be increased simply by building more plants. This makes it one of the clearest examples of a circular economy.
In Spilamberto, a biodigester converted into a biomethane plant
An innovative plant for the production of biomethane is in operation in Spilamberto, in the province of Modena. It was developed by the NewCo Biorg, a joint venture between the Hera Group and Inalca (Cremonini Group), through a total investment of around €28 million and the use of the best available technologies.
Starting from separately collected organic waste and agri-food effluents, the plant – the result of converting an old biodigester – produces, at full capacity, 3.7 million cubic metres of biomethane per year, a 100% renewable fuel intended for transport, and around 18,000 tonnes of compost.
A cutting-edge plant for the energy transition and the circular economy
The 100% renewable natural gas is produced through anaerobic digestion of organic waste from separate collection carried out mainly in Modena and the province, along with waste from local agri-food processing and meat production by Inalca. Once refined, it becomes biomethane and can be fed into the gas network.
Significant environmental benefits: around 7,000 tonnes of CO₂ avoided
Thanks to the injection of biomethane into the network and its use in transport, significant environmental benefits are expected. Every year, around 3,000 tonnes of oil equivalent (TOE) in fossil fuels are saved, and approximately 7,000 tonnes of CO₂ emissions are avoided. Absorbing such an amount of CO₂ would require, on average, 280,000 trees.
What happens in our plant in Sant'Agata
Organic waste, collected through separate waste collection, undergoes anaerobic digestion to produce biogas. This is how the process works: the waste is shredded and screened, then remains for about 21 days in four horizontal digesters, where suitable microorganisms carry out the digestion process and produce biogas (composed of methane and carbon dioxide). After this, the biogas undergoes an upgrading, or purification, phase using pressurised water: the carbon dioxide dissolves and separates from the methane. The result is biomethane, a gas with a methane content above 95%, and a completely renewable source of energy. Not only that: at the end of the digestion process, lignocellulosic material is added to the outgoing solid fraction, producing a compact mass that then undergoes composting to create high-quality compost, which can be used as potting soil or agricultural fertiliser.
Biomethane is therefore another revolution rooted in the circular economy, one that we at Hera Group are committed to advancing. We do all this with the goal of creating shared value, as Andrea Ramonda, CEO of Herambiente, emphasises: “The direction we have taken looks towards the industrial sector with an increasing focus to creating shared value and partnerships. We are aware that sustainable waste management, focused on recovery and in full compliance with regulations, is essential in today’s world and generates benefits for the entire community.”
Working together for a circular city
At Hera Group, we have joined forces with Bologna Airport and Tper to launch a circular economy project that contributes to decarbonising urban mobility and improving air quality.
What does this partnership involve? The Airport delivers its organic waste to Hera, which collects it at the Sant'Agata Bolognese plant together with similar waste produced by citizens and transforms it into biomethane that Tper purchases to feed the fuel tanks of a significant part of its bus fleet.
This is an important step forward for our Group and for two major organisations in our area, which, like us, serve hundreds of thousands of people. We share a commitment to improvement and sustainability, in line with the UN 2030 Agenda.
Measure to innovate. Hera Luce's tool is ahead of its time
Since 2017, we have been developing a measuring system, conceived by Hera Luce, which analyses the materials used in public lighting. What's the target? Making their life cycle circular, as well.
Waste can spring back to a new life almost indefinitely. This principle is the foundation of the circular economy. It is based on the five Rs – reduce, reuse, recycle, recover, regenerate – and aims to minimize waste and the use of resources. And this is also the foundation of our front line fight to manage municipal waste, which today, more than ever before, has become a precious resource, thanks to a circular approach.
Our efforts have gone well beyond waste management. Since 2017, we have been trying to apply the same circularity to public lighting systems. But to innovate, you have to measure.
That's why Hera Luce developed a measurement system to analyse materials used in public lighting throughout their entire life cycle – from origin to final destination – both in terms of material flows and in economic terms (costs/revenues).
In 2017, this approach to measuring circularity had already been brought into line with the guidelines of the Italian Ministry of the Environment and it is now consistent with Circulytics, the new digital tool which accurately measures circularity, developed by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation in 2019, and which we were involved in as testers.
Our evaluation system also anticipated the requirements of the Italian Ministry of the Environment on the minimum environmental criteria (MEC) for public lighting services. In fact, since 2016, our calls for tenders require MEC compliance and, since 2018, also require the material balance.
Our strong focus on circularity and environmental sustainability, the awareness raising process launched with our suppliers, and being forerunners of such a measuring tool have been rewarding choices. Hera Luce has thus been awarded the contracts for the municipalities of Ferrara, Lugo, Tavullia, and Cervia, and has qualified as a partner to the Municipal Administrations as able to promote the issues of sustainable, intelligent and solidarity-based development, favouring the achievement of the objectives of the UN's 2030 Agenda.
In the coming years, we will extend the use of the Hera Luce circularity evaluation tool to water connection sites.
Hera Luce's efforts to improve the efficiency of public lighting contribute to achieving target 7.3 of the UN's 2030 Agenda.