A source of clean energy from sewers and wet waste: Biomethane null null null null null null null null null null null null null null null An investment of Euro 37 million. A plant that disposes of 100 thousand tonnes of organic waste produced by separate waste collection and another 35 thousand tonnes coming from green waste and pruning material. And that, once "digested", produce 7.5 million cubic meters of biomethane fuel that is 100% renewable and 20 thousand tonnes of compost. Impianto Biometano foto 1 Impianto Biometano foto 2 Impianto Biometano foto 3 Impianto Biometano foto 4 Impianto Biometano foto 5 Impianto Biometano foto 6 Impianto Biometano foto 7 Impianto Biometano foto 8 Impianto Biometano foto 9 Impianto Biometano foto 10 Impianto Biometano foto 11 Impianto Biometano foto 12 Impianto Biometano foto 13 Impianto Biometano foto 14 Impianto Biometano foto 15 null null null null null null null null null null null null null null null null null null null null null null null null null null null null null null HERA-impianto-biometano_032__DSC9813.jpg These numbers tell the success story of our state-of-the-art plant in Sant'Agata Bolognese, just outside Bologna: the latest great and ambitious project to add to our long list of waste treatment facilities (89 in total, including waste-to-energy plants, composters, and sorting plants). With one big goal: to relaunch the challenge of renewables on an industrial scale and make this plant a reference structure for green energy in Europe. Biomethane: a clean resource of biological origin But what makes this natural gas source organic? Simply, the way to get it: not by drilling for hidden deposits in the deepest parts of the Earth but by fermenting organic waste in plants designed to do so. Biomethane can, therefore, be produced for as long as you want, it is endless, and production can be increased simply by building other plants. Making the process one of the purest examples of the circular economy. In Spilamberto, a biodigester converted into a biomethane plant An innovative plant for the production of biomethane came into operation in October 2023 in Spilamberto, in the Modena area. It was created by NewCo Biorg, the result of the partnership between the Hera Group and the Inalca company (Cremonini Group), thanks to a total investment of approximately 28 million euros and the use of the best available technologies. Starting from the separate collection of organic waste and agri-food wastewater, the plant - created from the conversion of an old biodigester - produces 3.7 million cubic meters of biomethane every year when fully operational, a 100% renewable fuel intended for transport, and approximately 18 thousand tons of compost. A cutting-edge plant for the energy transition and the circular economy The 100% renewable natural gas is produced in the plant from the anaerobic digestion of organic waste coming from the separate collection carried out mainly in Modena and its district, from the waste resulting from the manufacturing process of the local agri-food industry and from the production process of Inalca's meat. Once refined, it becomes biomethane and can be introduced into the gas network. The environmental benefits are important: around 7 thousand tonnes of CO₂ are avoided Thanks to the introduction of biomethane into the network and its use in transport, significant environmental benefits are estimated: every year the use of approximately 3 thousand tonnes of fossil fuel oil equivalent (TOE) will be saved and CO₂ emissions will be avoided for approximately 7 thousand tons. To absorb such a quantity of CO₂, an average of 280 thousand trees would be needed. What happens in our sant’agata facility Organic waste, obtained through separate waste collection, is processed by anaerobic digestion to produce biogas. How? The waste, shredded and screened, remains for about 21 days in 4 horizontal digesters, where suitable microorganisms carry out the digestion process to produce biogas (consisting of natural gas and carbon dioxide). Then the biogas is upgraded using pressurized water to dissolve the carbon dioxide and separate the natural gas. The result is biomethane, a gas with a methane content of over 95% and a completely renewable energy source. But that's not all. At the end of the digestion process, wood-cellulosic material is added to the resulting solid matter to obtain a compact mass that is sent to composting, to produce quality compost, which can be used as potting soil for vases or as a fertiliser in agriculture. Come find out more about our Sant'Agata Bolognese plant. Biomethane is, therefore, another revolution based on the circular economy, which all of us in the Hera Group want to pursue. Again, to create shared value, as Herambiente's CEO, Andrea Ramonda, is determined to emphasize: “The direction we have taken addresses the industrial world as increasingly oriented towards creating shared value and partnerships. We are aware that sustainable waste management, focused on the recovery of waste and compliant with the rules, is an essential factor in today's world, and one that delivers benefits to the entire community). The idea of the exhibition came from the photographic project commissioned in 2018 to Silvia Camporesi on the occasion of the work being done on the Sant'Agata Bolognese site. The report has been enriched with other shots, thus becoming the complete story of the development of the plant. The exhibition consists of 11 large-format photographic works which reveal where and how waste takes another form and becomes biofuel. Technology, innovation, industrial process, efficiency, circularity are the messages underlying each of the images captured by the artist. Silvia Camporesi visited the plant every month for a whole year, documenting the evolution and changes to the facility. 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Wastewater "gets beautiful" with ultrasound treatment Wastewater is all the water that, after having been used in domestic, agricultural, and industrial activities, must be treated before being returned to the environment. This water contains a solid part – sludge – which is removed during treatment. But, in addition to giving a new life to wastewater, can we also make the sludge life cycle circular, by reducing the amount to be disposed of? Back in 2017, we started research to answer these questions, and, once again, we decided to invest in new technologies to lighten the impact on the environment and be more virtuous. In November 2019, our efforts became a reality, thanks to the ultrasound sludge hydrolysis system, installed at the Forlì treatment plant. In this system, part of the sludge from the wastewater treatment process is subjected to sound waves. The waves, in contact with the liquid matrix to be treated, biodegrade more volatile solids, increasing biogas production, and reducing the final dry matter in the sludge. All this makes it possible to significantly reduce the volume of sludge to be disposed of and opens up new scenarios for the use of the biogas obtained thanks to the ultrasound system. During 2020 the initial results will be reported and we look forward to sharing the successes of this new adventure with you. 110_150_depurazione.1597408821.jpg no

Hera and General Electric together for energy recovery An experimental and innovative project with an ambitious goal: energy recovery and lower consumption of fossil fuels by decompressing the methane gas distributed in urban networks. general electric (1).jpg The exclusive agreement between Hera Group and General Electric specifically involves installing a turbo expander at the R&M stations (gas delivery points) of the Ducati factory in Bologna. It is a medium-small turbo expander (330 kW electric), which can be installed in medium-sized R&M stations, that in combination with a heat pump that uses CO2 as a thermal carrier fluid, recovers part of the electric energy to preheat the gas used in the process. In 2019, we completed all the production start-up activities and started the provisional running phase, in order to carry out all the performance and endurance tests. It is scheduled to start operating at full capacity in the second half of 2020. Once the testing is completed, if the expected performance is confirmed, this technology can be installed in other methane gas decompression stations of the Hera Group. The project, moreover, contributes to achieving target 7.3 of the UN’s 2030 Agenda.

Bus fuel from trash: Hera's pilot project with "START" _PG_9554.1555590488.jpg To obtain clean energy to power Ravenna's buses by decomposing waste in landfills. We are not talking about the future, but about what has already come true, thanks to an innovative waste treatment plant in Ravenna. It adds another important element in the effort to reduce environmental impact and optimise waste management. The project is funded by the Emilia-Romagna Regional Administration and the European Commission, and is designed to highlight the advantages of using green natural gas. Which ones? It can contribute to replacing fossil energy sources with renewable energy sources; it can be used in the transport sector by contributing to achieving the 10% share of biofuels; it can provide logistics savings thanks to the extensive Italian natural gas network; and can be integrated with other renewable energy sources. The biomethane is collected from networks inside the landfill, and from there it is channelled into a container where it is "purified" by removing the carbon dioxide and other gases in it. From there, it reaches a tank and is used for refuelling. For now, the biomethane produced by the plant will power the buses of "Start Romagna" (Romagna's public transport company), and the pilot project will last about two years. But this is just the beginning. For the Hera Group, this is the second biomethane production facility, after the one in Sant'Agata Bolognese, which produces green energy by treating mowing, pruning and organic waste from separate waste collection. Landfill in Ravenna no http://ha.gruppohera.it/plants/composting/biometano_project/082.html