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Water treatment 4.0, between artificial intelligence and predictive technologies

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Water treatment 4.0, between artificial intelligence and predictive technologies

Modena's smart purification plant is COSTANCE, the prototype of the purification plant of Granarolo dell'Emilia. Two outstanding examples of sustainable water resource management.

The watchword is innovation. To protect the environment and those who live in it, and to provide quality services.

That's always been our belief. But there's more. We need to add another watchword: resilience, the ability to cope with change. And when we speak of climate change, we have learned that innovation and resilience are inseparable. The most modern technologies allow us, in fact, to face sudden changes, turning to prevention, the ability to predict causes and consequences, acting in advance.

Following this principle, and as the second-ranking Italian operator in terms of volumes of water sold, we have earmarked Euro 830 million for smart technologies in our Business Plan for 2023. In fact, the networks and plants of the water cycle are subjected to increasing stress due to the ongoing climate change, and only our ability to adapt and innovate, has made us an Italian excellence in the industry. 

The investments we have made are 20% higher than the Italian average - almost Euro 176 million in 2019 alone – and reaffirm our commitment to a circular and regenerative economy, starting with water.

In particular, by complying with the requests of the United Nations Global Compact on the sustainable management of water resources, we remain committed to continuously innovate the service to achieve its gradual decarbonisation. This happens not only by using only renewable energy but also through energy efficiency projects and optimisation of the processes involved in the treatment. 

There are two virtuous examples we are particularly proud of, the Modena treatment plant and that of Granarolo dell'Emilia (Bologna).

THE SMART TREATMENT PLANT IN MODENA

Blue water, clear water. This is the refrain that welcomes to Modena's smart treatment plant. Its new predictive system, unique in Italy, enables us to improve the quality of the water we return to the environment and to further reduce the energy consumption of our wastewater treatment plant.

Here, technological innovation, integrated systems, and efficient use of resources are at the forefront.  

The project, developed together with Energy Way (the company that develops mathematical models for the efficient and sustainable development of businesses), created a system capable of controlling the oxidation process, a fundamental phase of the wastewater treatment cycle, anticipating the needs of the plant's activities. In fact, the requirements vary according to the water flow rate and the concentration of organic pollutants. The smart controller anticipates, 30 minutes in advance, the condition of the plant and acts beforehand to avoid the concentration of pollutants or energy peaks.

The pilot project has yielded positive results, which we are proud of. The Modena treatment plant, which can cope with the needs of 500,000 inhabitants, recorded a 16% decrease in energy used in the oxidation process, compared to a traditional control system, and a further 8.1% decrease in the presence of nitrogen in the outgoing water (a parameter already below the regulatory limits).

WELCOME TO CONSTANCE, PROTOTYPE OF THE GRANAROLO DELL’EMILIA TREATMENT PLANT

It's just been born, but it's looking very promising. We are talking about CONSTANCE (COntrollo iNtelligente e geSTione Automatizzata per il trattameNto di aCque rEflue). The system is the fruit of a partnership between Hera Group and ENEA (Ente per le Nuove tecnologie, l'Energia e l'Ambiente), is based on machine learning technologies, and can reduce energy and water treatment plant management costs by more than 30%. The prototype has reached a level 7 technological maturity and is ready for industrialisation; the first tests were successfully carried out in our treatment plant in Granarolo dell'Emilia (Bologna).

CONSTANCE's main innovative feature enables us to remotely manage multiple treatment plants and to estimate in real-time the percentage of pollutants entering the plant, such as nitrogen, reducing them and thus returning cleaner water.

"At Hera, we place technological innovation among the fundamental pillars of our management and development strategy. With this in mind, in 2017 we formed a partnership with ENEA to build projects of common interest," says Franco Fogacci, Water Director of Hera. "The experimental test project of ENEA's CONSTANCE controller at our treatment plant will allow us both to further develop skills, know-how, and transfer new technologies into real applications on an industrial scale, for the benefit of citizens and the environment", he concludes.

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Focus
18/12/2024
Innovation
Water Project

Algae to Value: wastewater turns into a benefit for agriculture

Algae to Value: wastewater turns into a benefit for agriculture img_algae.jpg The connection between the water cycle and agriculture has grown increasingly strong over the years, based on a straightforward principle: critical raw materials recovered from wastewater treatment – such as phosphorus, which is predominantly imported from China – are redirected to the agricultural sector. Here, the formula (nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium) represents the three essential macro-elements that are vital for plant health and growth. The project was implemented at the San Cesario sul Panaro wastewater treatment plant in the province of Modena, chosen for its ample space, which enabled the construction of two open-air vertical reactors. The initial results from batch tests show high removal rates of nitrogen and phosphorus (ranging from 60% to 100%) and biomass growth that varies depending on the technology used. These findings open up possibilities for further exploration of potential scale-ups with the aim of industrialising the project. In the coming months, the monitoring of key parameters and variables will be intensified, also to support a circular vision with an eye on industrial-scale prospects. Ongoing talks with several companies in the Emilia-Romagna agro-industrial sector are focused on assessing the potential for scaling up the project. no
Focus
13/12/2023
Innovation
Water Project

State-of-the-art prevention and control tools for high-quality water

State-of-the-art prevention and control tools for high-quality water Around 10,000 new substances are constantly being released into the environment. To ensure the quality of the water distributed, we need to intercept potentially polluting substances contained in the raw water we take from the source, and prevent them from entering our drinking water systems. How? Through an early warning system which, thanks to the use of innovative tools, makes it possible to develop preventive control of the quality of water in the network, and to anticipate critical issues and management problems. img_prevenzione_controllo_focus_110.jpg Early warning: how does it work? Water can be identified by creating a typical digital imprint, the FingerPrint, built on a specific template. Basically, UV-visible spectrophotometric analysis technology is used to make a “scan” of water, i.e. a kind of characteristic digital image, creating a spectrum associated with various organic substances. The model acquires the “fingerprint” of the monitored water and uniquely identifies it. When the water taken from the source has a “fingerprint” that is not recognised, the system triggers an alarm and further checks are carried out. This technology is particularly fast, allowing a water scan in less than two minutes. In addition, the system is very useful because it allows us to interrupt the withdrawal of water resources until the pollution has “passed”, or the reliability of the reported alert has been verified, thus guaranteeing high levels of safety of the water within the network. This innovative monitoring system was first applied in Bubano, near Imola, and later at the Val di Setta drinking water treatment plant in Bologna, which draws water from surface springs of the Reno and Setta rivers. no
Focus
13/12/2023
Innovation
Water Project

Making water drinkable with nanotechnology: it’s now a reality!

Making water drinkable with nanotechnology: now we can! Micropollutants, or microcontaminants, are chemicals such as pesticides, drugs, medicines and other organic substances that are present in water in very low concentrations. These are substances that are hazardous to human health and the environment, which we constantly monitor and research in order to identify effective removal mechanisms and abatement technologies. img_focus_nanotecnologie_110.jpg “Removing and capturing” microcontaminants The project involves the use of materials recovered from the production of hollow fibres for membranes, such as scaffolds used in the medical field which, combined with graphene, can be used as filter material in the water purification process. In this way, a valuable material, which would otherwise be lost as process waste, is put back into circulation and given new life. Laboratory tests were performed comparing conventional materials, such as activated carbon and innovative materials (PSU-GO, RGO, GNP, etc.) for the treatment of water resources at the Pontelagoscuro (Ferrara) power plant. The objective of the test was to verify the effectiveness of these materials in removing various micropollutants, such as: EMPs (Emerging MicroPollutants), EPs (Emerging Pollutants) and possible by-products of ozonation, such as bromates. The results highlighted the effectiveness of certain filtering materials and the next step will be the construction of a pilot plant within the Pontelagoscuro power plant, to further study and perform further tests on a larger scale. Laboratory results have highlighted the effectiveness of some filter materials, and the inauguration of the pilot plant at the Pontelagoscuro drinking water treatment plant in February 2024 allows the working group to implement full-scale application tests with varying concentrations of graphene oxide. In addition to Hera, CNR and Medica are also taking part in the project. They have built the plant thanks to an EU LIFE project. no
Focus
13/12/2023
Water Project
Innovation

The search for water leaks is now more efficient, thanks to cosmic rays

The search for water leaks is now more efficient, thanks to cosmic rays So far, the method used to find leaks in the water mains that run under our streets has been acoustic detection: technicians walk the kilometres of asphalt above the mains and use special devices to locate leakage points. Now, however, thanks to a system that uses cosmic rays, detection can also be carried out while following the network path in a car, thus proving faster and more profitable. Raggi_cosmici_focus_110.jpg Cosmic rays: what are they and how can they be used? Cosmic rays are an innovative method for water leak detection, based on the analysis of neutrons derived from secondary cosmic rays. It follows the same principle used to test whether there is water on Mars, but it can have different applications; for example, it is used in agriculture in the US for targeted irrigation. In short, this technology exploits non-damaging particles, the neutrons, from space. These continuously impact Earth, generating collisions between secondary beams, the energy of which decreases according to the material that is passed through. In particular, hydrogen in water interacts with neutrons by slowing them down or absorbing them. The amount of water in the ground can therefore be assessed by monitoring neutrons in the air: ground where water is present in a higher percentage will have a greater moderating/absorbing effect on cosmic rays than a drier area. By analysing the concentration of free cosmic rays, the presence of a water leak can be determined quickly and accurately, saving considerable time compared to traditional methods of investigation. In fact, this system can control a considerably larger network area, because it can travel on any vehicle on which it is mounted. The search can be carried out by real-time identification, i.e. simply by the passage of the device over the tube and immediate verification of the leakage as soon as the sensor signals a decrease in the number of neutrons, or by deferred search, when the sensor placed on a moving vehicle passes over the area several times and then indicates the wettest spots. The operator will no longer need to walk the entire water network with the geophone, but can go directly to the points identified on the map. Experimentation and results Together with the Department of Nuclear Physics at the University of Padua, we have developed a device that, mounted on a car, allows operators to travel along the network and monitor the concentration of neutrons on the road surface. The vehicle moves at a speed of 40-50 km/h along the road under which the water network runs and, using cosmic ray analysis, the levels of detected neutrons are shown on a display. When the concentration drops, it is a sign that the neutrons have been retained under the soil by a cluster of water. When this happens, it means that there may be a water leak in that very spot, underground, and technicians can promptly intervene for repairs. The testing of this technology, which we have been conducting since 2021, has confirmed the scientific soundness of the method: out of several thousand kilometres investigated, the same number of ruptures were found as with the traditional acoustic method, but with the advantage that the cosmic ray method is more productive, since the operator moves around in a car rather than on foot. With a network of some 30,000 kilometres to check, having this tool allows us to make great strides. In addition, cosmic rays are sensitive to even modest leaks, such as those from pipe joints, which are more difficult to detect accurately. This technology, which we have implemented thanks to a partnership with the start-up Cosmic and the team at Neptune Srl, is based on an isotope of lithium, lithium-6, which is the element that allows us to detect neutrons. We will continue to use it alongside the classic acoustic method, to locate all possible leaks and increase the level of effectiveness of interventions. no
Focus
13/12/2023
Innovation
Water Project

Sentry meters, to detect water leaks in the network

Sentry meters, to detect water leaks in the network contatori_kampsturp_110.jpg The Flow IQ® 2200 manufactured by Kamstrup, a well-established European supplier, is a sentry meter that can “listen” to the network thanks to a built-in hydrophone, i.e. a sensor designed to capture sounds and other acoustic signals underwater, which in this case is able to detect the noise associated with any water leaks. By placing the meters at strategic points in the network, about 50 metres apart, it is possible to create a grid within which continuous monitoring can be carried out. The meters transmit to a digital platform (called the LeakDetector) the minimum value of noise detected in 24 hours: if this is high, the meters will be highlighted with different alarm levels and analysis of the data will make it possible to identify whether it is indeed a water leak. If a leak or break code is activated for a meter, the customer will be notified promptly by our technicians. The meter testing phase started in May 2022 with the installation of more than 900 meters in the municipality of Conselice, where continuous monitoring of the water network began in September 2022 with real-time analysis of the leaks present, thereby allowing targeted intervention for repairs. The results achieved at Conselice and the award of PNRR financing for the reduction of water leaks led to the extension between 2023 and 2024 of the installations of this advanced smart meter also in the provinces of Modena (1150) and Ferrara (1200). A further 8300 installations will follow in 2025 with PNRR funding in the areas of Bologna, Ravenna, Forlì-Cesena and Rimini.   The Conselice pilot project: benefits noted Reliability The meters are extremely reliable, the leak and break indications that were verified were correct and no false positives were found. Promptness We intervened before customers called us: many leaks were repaired the day after they appeared, whereas previously some leaks would only have been detected following issue of a bill with an unusually high consumption figure. Permanent monitoring Compared to the installation of standard meters, the main difference is that with Flow IQ® 2200s, a permanent water leak monitoring system is put in place. Kamstrup meters are also smart meters and automatically send data to the portal. Rapid localisation If the meters are correctly positioned, field localisation is quick because the area to be investigated is confined. Integration The system interfaces seamlessly with other company monitoring tools. Affordability By correctly establishing the number of meters required, good network coverage is achieved without an unsustainable increase in costs. no
Focus
08/03/2021

Smarty, The new line of waste containers

Smarty, The new line of waste containers smarty.png no
Focus
08/03/2021

Waste-to-energy plants: a resource for the circular economy

Waste-to-energy plants: a resource for the circular economy /-/waste-to-energy-plants-a-resource-for-the-circular-economy waste-to-energy.png no
Focus
05/08/2020
Innovation

SMART CITY: Hera's commitment to the city of the future

SMART CITY: Hera's commitment to the city of the future /group_eng/innovation/smart-city smart city.jpg no
Focus
04/08/2020
Heratech Project
Innovation

A source of clean energy from sewers and wet waste: Biomethane

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. Sant'Agata Bolognese plant null no http://ha.gruppohera.it/plants/composting/biometano_project/082.html null
Focus
04/08/2020
Heratech Project
Energy Efficiency

Dialogue with the urban context for new energy: the Borgo Panigale cogeneration plant

Dialogue with the urban context for new energy: the Borgo Panigale cogeneration plant When going by the roundabout between Via Prati di Caprara and Via Vittorio Sabena in the Reno di Borgo Panigale neighbourhood in Bologna, it seems like you are passing next to a gigantic colourful radiator. It has the appearance of a modern work of art, but instead it is the Hera Group’s new cogeneration plant. This plant has changed the face of the entire neighbourhood since it was inaugurated in October 2017. Its characteristic element is the elliptical structure covering the stack of the plant. It consists of 576 plates of colourful porcelain stoneware arranged on multiple overlapping rings that create a combination of colours and light with the nuances typical of the city of Bologna: brick red, ochre yellow, tuff yellow, dark brown and rust. brgopanigale.jpg Hera’s undertaking for an efficient district heating system The Cogen plant, which stands in Via Paolo Nanni Costa, is not only Hera’s jewel from the architectural viewpoint - perfectly integrated with the new urban context of the neighbourhood - but is also the Group’s pride and joy from the production viewpoint. Entirely designed and built by Heratech, the engineering essence of the Hera Group, the plant produces energy in cogeneration, meaning both electricity and hot water necessary for the district heating network. Built thanks to an investment topping Euro 17 million, the plant heats the equivalent of 8000 housing units and currently the turbines produce up to 35,000 Mwh of energy a year, almost double that of the past. District heating is already in itself a “sustainable” and eco-friendly supply because it is able to guarantee greater efficiency than the traditional household boilers. What’s more is that the plant guarantees less atmospheric emissions, greater reliability and a higher availability of energy with 90% efficiency. What does all of this mean in terms of benefits for the environment? It is like planting 25,000 new trees every year. Or stopping the flow of traffic of 8000 vehicles during the same period. Technology, efficiency, reutilisation of the land The use of advanced technology and energy efficiency are therefore the cornerstones of this work, in line with Hera’s mission for sustainable development. But that’s not all. The new Cogen district heating plant made a remarkable impact also in terms of land reutilisation. Built on the site of the thermoelectric plant in operation since the 1990s, the Cogen plant allowed the plant in Via Segantini to be shut down and today only one plant is able to cover the same requirement guaranteed by the two of the past. (is it advisable to say that?) Yes, I think so This is an enormous goal that Hera has met, which sets upgrading existing facilities one of its primary objectives. If the percentage of land reutilisation was 77% in the Group Sustainability Report closed in 2019, the development of the network works and of plants presently in progress and included in the 2020-2023 Industrial Plan will allow 73% of reutilised land to be guaranteed. (data updated to 2019). The undertaking of the Hera Group for energy efficiency The Borgo Panigale Cogen plant is part of the 343 interventions forming the plans for improvement of Hera, Inrete, AcegasApsAmga and Marche Multiservizi at year-end 2019, and that will allow consumption to be cut by 13,740 Tep (-5.9% energy consumption compared to 2013), passing the target set for 2020 by -5%. (data updated to 2019). The Bologna Cogen plant in figures: 8,000 housing units served 35,000 Mwh energy produced each year Euro 17 million invested District Heating Our plants no null null
Focus
04/08/2020
Innovation

Hergo Reti: the smart approach to emergency service and maintenance

Hergo Reti: the smart approach to emergency service and maintenance hergo reti.jpg More than 130 thousand emergency response reports involving 1,500 employees in 2019. More than 50 thousand emergency response operations in the first six months of 2020, in a local area that includes Emilia-Romagna, Triveneto and Marche. These numbers speak for Hergo Reti, Hera Group's platform that effectively manages our operations, maintenance, technical assistance, and emergency response activities. Efficiency, performance and satisfaction are the key words that have guided us along the development of Hergo Reti, a project included in our Utilities 4.0 plan. Since its introduction in 2018, the "Geocall" IT platform has enabled us to simplify our processes by applying the benefits of digitalisation to emergency response activities. In the past, the persistence of paper documents or data accessible only from a fixed location slowed down operations. The need for constant telephone contact with assistants and the use of multiple devices for different functions did not improve process efficiency. Today, thanks to "Geocall", everything has become accessible via smartphone: from the technical information of the user systems to the data on service personnel, up to the creation and allocation of the work phases, the consultation of multimedia documents attached to the work orders and road navigation to the location of the report. no
Focus
04/08/2020
Energy Efficiency
Circular Economy

Measure to innovate. Hera Luce's tool is ahead of its time

Measure to innovate. Hera Luce's tool is ahead of its time 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. MG_0694.jpg 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. Hera Luce no http://www.heraluce.it/
Focus
04/08/2020
Energy Efficiency
Circular Economy

Waste-to-energy plants: a resource for the circular economy

Waste-to-energy plants: a resource for the circular economy A waste-to-energy plant, in fact, is a plant in which the heat from the combustion of waste is recovered to generate steam, which is then used to produce electricity or for district heating. link to the district heating page termovalorizzatori.jpg Our nine waste-to-energy plants cover a catchment area of over 3 million inhabitants in the provinces of Ferrara, Modena, Bologna, Forlì-Cesena, Rimini, Isernia, Padua, and Trieste and "enhance" the heat produced for the benefit of the local area. How? By generating both electricity, fed into the Italian distribution network, and heat, sent to homes or users in the surrounding area, through a special distribution network. HOW DOES A WASTE-TO-ENERGY PLANT WORK? Watch the video for a quick and simple explanation of the basic operation of a waste-to-energy plant. ARE WASTE-TO-ENERGY PLANTS DANGEROUS? No. These plants are safe, compliant with the regulations, and contribute less than 1% of total emission sources for dioxins, PM10, NOx, and other major air pollutants (ISPRA data). The only waste consists of ash (about 20% by weight of the treated waste) and particulate (about 3% by weight of the treated waste). Ash is generally used for recovery and production of secondary raw materials for the cement industry, while the particulate is stabilised to reduce any potential pollutants and make it suitable for disposal in an authorised plant. Do you want to know more about our waste-to-energy plant emissions? Visit the section on our website. The waste-to-energy plants are subject to constant monitoring and checks conducted by both Herambiente itself and competent agencies. Checks are carried out with the utmost transparency and anyone can verify the results: the main emission parameters are published and updated every half hour on the website www.herambiente.it. Transparency, in fact, has always been a value for Herambiente, since it manages waste and material and energy recovery activities without compromising the quality of the surrounding environment, with the utmost respect for the territory and adopting solutions with the lowest environmental impact. To dispose of the non-recoverable part of the waste and to make good use of the energy obtained to produce electricity and heat. This is the task of a waste-to-energy plant. no
Focus
04/08/2020
Circular Economy

SCART®: the beautiful and useful aspect of waste

SCART®: the beautiful and useful aspect of waste To transform waste into art and everyday objects to raise awareness and positively influence the mentality of recovery and reuse. scart.jpg This has been the goal of the SCART® project for over 20 years. It is an ecological initiative based on the desire to breathe life back into materials that become waste every day. The result is, sofas, armchairs, tables, chairs, lamps, drawers, games, musical instruments, clothing, and installations, but also scenery for shows and costumes. There are many initiatives at the Italian and international levels under the SCART® brand. From the prestigious conventions with the Academies of Fine Arts of Florence, Bologna and Ravenna which, every year, involve numerous students in seminars and workshops at the Hera Group's facilities in Santa Croce sull'Arno and Pisa, to the creation of costumes and stage components (for example, for Andrea Bocelli's 2012 concert at the Teatro del Silenzio in Lajatico). Also, on the occasion of the 2019 edition of the Barcolana, the historic international sailing regatta held every year in the Gulf of Trieste, the symbolic "Alice" was made from waste: a giant 10 metre long sardine was set up in Piazza dell'Unità, using about 5 thousand bottles and plastic bottles. SCART® is an invitation to reflect on new intelligent, creative, and above all sustainable lifestyles and contributes to achieving targets 12.2, 12.4, 12.5, and 12.8 of the UN’s 2030 Agenda.
Focus
04/08/2020
Innovation

Robotics at the service of humankind

Robotics at the service of humankind Will the future belong to machines? That is the main question that arises when dealing with issues such as Robotics and Artificial Intelligence. Two disciplines that have literally revolutionized the way we do our business, radically changing its processes. Robotica.png Predicting the future is not up to us. However, we are certain of one thing: automation processes are the key to increasing the value of the people who work for the Hera Group. Robotics and Artificial Intelligence, in fact, have enabled us to automate all the repetitive and low value-added business processes. By doing so, we can let people have more time for more qualifying activities and enhance their intellectual capacity on processes that generate more value for the company. Thanks to the Robotic & Intelligent Process Automation platform, a project that is part of our Utilities 4.0 plan, we have obtained significant results, speeding up the process and making the operations more reliable in the 7 processes we have started in recent years: the management of the suppliers' DURC (Unified Certificate of Social Security Payments Compliance), the communications between seller and energy distributors, the seller's Order Entry process, the expense reports, the service notices related to waste management services, the work orders to replace meters in the networks and, lastly, the virtual assistant for planning meetings and booking meeting rooms. By introducing dashboards that monitor automated activities, we can act promptly on business processes, continually optimizing productivity and efficiency. The aim is to extend the scope of automated processes to new areas thanks to their continuous technological evolution, for example, with tools such as semantic text interpretation engines and optical character recognition (OCR) systems. The challenge to make our processes smarter and smarter is just beginning.
Focus
04/08/2020
Heratech Project
Circular Economy
Water Project

PSBO: the gentle giant that protects the sea of Rimini

PSBO: the gentle giant that protects the sea of Rimini Keeping the sea clean and ensuring that it is safe to swim in is a complex undertaking, but it's not impossible. Proof of this is the Rimini Optimised Seawater Protection Plan (Piano di Salvaguardia della Balneazione Ottimizzato - PSBO) Plan, the largest water reclamation project underway in Italy, which we worked on together with the Rimini Municipality and Romagna Acque. A construction site, indeed 14 of them, which are changing the face of a city that, for over 60 years, has been the backdrop for the holidays of millions of tourists, both Italian and foreign. With an investment of Euro 154 million, the project will ensure that swimming will be safe along the entire Rimini coastline, eliminating sewage from all 11 discharges into the sea. Restoring a clean, healthy, and transparent sea for Rimini and the whole local area is an essential step to promote and give a new outlook to the entire community. Indeed, the sea is not only a precious resource that drives the economy: it is the site of our identity. psbo.jpg Kennedy Square, where it all begins The massive work of the PSBO, the gentle giant that protects the sea, all begins under Piazzale Kennedy. In the event of a storm, in fact, the treatment plant cannot withstand the large volume of both sewage and rainwater it receives. In order not to damage the plant and to prevent flooding, the water is discharged into the sea without treatment. The operation causes ban on swimming, thus impacting the environment, public health, and the economy of the area. The PSBO avoids this situation thanks to two tanks as large as 20 Olympic-size pools, located 40 meters below ground. The first tank, with a capacity of 14 thousand cubic metres, collects the water from the first flush of rain, while the second one, with a capacity of 25 thousand cubic metres, is designed for "buffering", i.e. reducing the rainwater drainage sent into the sea. A forced ventilation mechanism, which sends the air sucked in from the tanks to a treatment system based on activated carbon technology, permanently solves the problem of bad odours. With their modern architecture integrated into the city context, the new waterfront terraces in Piazzale Kennedy will "hide" this complex structure. One already opened to the public in July 2019, and the other will be completed by summer 2020. The Santa Giustina wastewater treatment plant, the "heart" of the PSBO Once the water is collected in the tanks, its real journey begins under Piazzale Kennedy: perhaps the most important of the PSBO's activities. The buffering tank, in fact, is connected to a runoff pumping system that can pump 18,000 litres per second or convey it to the Santa Giustina treatment plant. This is the heart of the gentle giant of Rimini, who transforms the water to make it, as famous song says, "blue and clear". Enhanced with a series of measures that have doubled its capacity, the treatment plant is now able to treat all the wastewater, i.e. from domestic and industrial sewage, from the local area of Rimini and the state of San Marino, and serving 560 thousand inhabitants during the summer season. After separating the water from sand and oil, and eliminating the sewage using denitrifying bacteria (organisms that feed on the substances in the sewage), the treatment plant makes the wastewater transparent and clean thanks to microfiltration membranes, a cutting-edge technology that captures microscopic particles such as viruses and bacteria. The main construction sites of the PSBO Let's go through the history of this ambitious project together. The doubling of the Santa Giustina treatment plant started in 2013 and finished in 2015, was the real kick-off of the PSBO project. Its activity, which is the heart of the entire plant, is also closely linked to the conversion of the Marecchiese treatment plant, to buffer the flow rates to Santa Giustina. Another important milestone was achieved in 2014: the beginning of the remodelling of Rimini's sewerage system, which involved the rehabilitation of Rimini Isola, followed by the separation of the sewerage networks of Rimini Nord. The latter, completed in 2020, was a fundamental step for the entire project. It directly involved the residents of the area, who were called upon to connect their discharge to the new sewage water pipes correctly. At the same time, in 2015 we completed the work on the North Backbone, the link between the Santa Giustina and Bellaria treatment plants, and in 2018 the excavation (using microtunneling) of the South Backbone: thanks to the "mole" boring machine, we laid pipelines under natural slopes, or major roads in towns, without requiring extensive excavations. Further measures, such as the Ausa sewage collector, the Mavone floodway channel, and the sewer pumping station in Via Santa Chiara, have significantly reduced the risk of flooding in most areas of the town where this problem frequently occurs. In addition, with the Ausa Canal project, which artificially covers the canal, we have enhanced the water flow rate in the final stretch from the waterfront to the sea when the spillway channels are opened, creating a pleasant path between the waterfront and Piazzale Kennedy that makes even the nearby swimming facilities more attractive. The results we have achieved To date, more than 5 thousand square meters of coastline have been "freed" from swimming bans, and the construction work is now 90% completed. Thanks to sieving and storage treatments, we have also managed to recover over 20 thousand cubic metres of sand to replenish the beaches along the coast: this operation, which we could describe as a real "feeding" of the beaches by adding new sand, makes it possible to counteract the erosion of the coast, abiding by the principles of the circular economy. These achievements, along with all other planned interventions, have led the PSBO to be mentioned in the UN report "SDG Industry Matrix: Energy, Natural Resources & Chemicals" (2017) as a best practice linked to the sustainable development objectives of the UN’s 2030 Global Agenda. Heratech no
Focus
04/08/2020
Innovation

The Forlì remote control technology hub, the heart of Hera

The Forlì remote control technology hub, the heart of Hera To run efficiently, cars need an engine that works optimally. Hera's engine is its Forlì Remote Control Technological Hub. This facility is unique in Italy and among the most advanced in Europe. It controls and monitors more than 6,600 plants and 67 thousand km of networks. telecontrollo_Forlì_FC.jpg Our sophisticated IT system enables us to remotely control the water, sewerage, gas, and district heating distribution networks in real-time, and covers Hera Group's entire service area. It enables us to continuously monitor malfunctions or failures and take direct action on the systems. In a control room of over 400 square meters, a team of 68 professionals controls the networks thanks to 130 monitors, 34 operating stations, and ten process engineering stations. Also, a giant 60 m2 screen enables operators to view networks and plants in real-time, monitoring them also using precise 3D representations, in addition to all the network operating parameters. The control room, the "heart" of Forlì's technological centre, receives over 9 million pieces of information daily through 360 thousand sensors installed throughout the local area. Every day, its operators handle about 8 thousand events or alarms coming from the field, with a broad range of criticality levels. The synergy between networks and the remote control centre is also ensured by the technical call centre, that supports the emergency response service, and handles around 340 thousand incoming calls per year, equal to an average of over 920 per day, and around 150 thousand outgoing calls. Thanks to the information received in real-time and the very detailed graphical representations, our technicians can immediately assess the extent of each report and activate the necessary actions, such as local emergency services. Remote control
Focus
04/08/2020
Circular Economy

Biodiesel has been developed also from used food oil

Biodiesel has been developed also from used food oil. green diesel.jpg 20181124_Il_Gazzettino_VE_Mestre_Olio_esausto_da_tutta_Emilia_per_alimentare_la_bio_raffineria.1543335927.pdf 20181124_QE_Accordo_Eni_Hera_per_biocarburante_dagli_oli_esausti.1543335423.pdf 20190830_CorriereRomagnaForl_Cesena_Olio_alimentare_usato_Lotta_dura_contro_una_bomba_per_l_ambiente.1567419253.pdf 20191011_CorRomagna_IM_Olio_alimentare.1570790589.pdf This is possible today thanks to the strategic partnership we have set up with Eni, which is one of the many initiatives launched in our transition to a circular economy. How is biodiesel made? We recover exhausted vegetable oils for domestic use, such as frying oils, from around 800 roadside collection bins and around 130 ecological stations. We send these oils to the Eni bio-refinery in Porto Marghera, Venice. Here they are processed to make a biodiesel containing 15% renewable component. This biofuel feeds part of our company's vehicles for the collection of municipal waste in the area served. How does the oil collection service work for citizens? The oil can be delivered not only to drop-off points, but also to eco-self containers and roadside collection stations. The latter are of a new type. Compared to the previous ones, in fact, they hold 240 litres and can collect the oil to be recovered through a small hatch. Keep in mind that the oil should not be poured directly into the stations, but rather put inside plastic bottles or bottles closed with their caps. To find the collection point nearest you, you can use our app “Il Rifiutologo” that can be downloaded for free. null null null null no null null null null
Focus
04/08/2020

NexMeter: the smart gas meter offering innovation, safety and sustainability

NexMeter: the smart gas meter offering innovation, safety and sustainability nexmeter.jpg The existing NexMeter meter will be transformed into a more eco-friendly (green) meter, by replacing over 68% of the internal and external plastic components with others derived from recycled and recyclable materials. The plastic materials currently used in packaging will be eliminated and/or replaced with 100% recycled materials, such as plastic caps that are more likely to be dispersed in the environment. A further feature also makes the use of the meter green: the manual will be dematerialised and made accessible via a QR code. Nexmeter Green was developed in collaboration between InRete, Aliplast and the Pietro Fiorentini company. It represents a further evolution of the current version. Created in 2019 NexMeter was the Hera Group’s first 4.0 meter, designed to be increasingly mindful of safety and consumption issues. Its name derives from the union of the words “Next” (which means not only “near”, but also “future”) and “Meter” (the device itself). The "smart" meter is the result of the Hera Group’s know-how in the management of gas distribution and their continuous investments in innovation, research and development. The Hera Group has chosen the most qualified companies as partners, both nationally and internationally: Panasonic, a Japanese multinational world leader in the manufacture of electronic products and components, and Pietro Fiorentini, a leading Italian company in the production of products and services for the entire natural gas supply chain. NexMeter is more than just a meter: it is a "minià-computer" equipped with advanced technology, based on algorithms, sensors and ultrasound to offer users absolute precision and greater reliability. Using a state-of-the-art seismic mechanism, it is in fact able to intercept any earthquake shock in real time and suspend the gas supply activity, guaranteeing a qualitatively safer service in terms of preventing and reducing the risk of accidents. These aspects bring certain benefits both for users, who are increasingly aware of their consumption, and for the distribution companies of the Hera Group, which thanks to NexMeter is able to manage the entire gas distribution network in a more advanced way. In addition to sending periodic reports regarding consumption figures, in the event of emergency, the new meter secures the system and immediately sends a report to the Group's Central Remote Control in Forlì, which monitors networks and systems throughout the territory served by the multiutility in real time. If the remote control has an address available to the user, it in turn sends them an alert signal that appears on the meter display. NexMeter is also the environmentally friendly meter: in fact, by being able to detect both immediate and large gas leaks and micro-leaks, it contributes to reducing polluting emissions, with positive effects also on boiler efficiency. In addition to being compatible with all types of networks and systems, NexMeter is also ready for use with future ‘green’ gases. Video: Together to build the future no http://https//www.youtube.com/watch?v=k_l2ubOFGIE&rel=0
Focus
04/08/2020
Water Project
Innovation

The preventive maintenance of sewerage networks travels in space

The preventive maintenance of sewerage networks travels in space From up on a satellite, we can see if an aqueduct has leaks, and we can predict if our sewer networks need maintenance. Indeed, the most advanced technologies enable us to be even more efficient in managing the water cycle, transitioning from "fighting fires"' to taking "predictive" action, to prevent collector failure as much as possible. manutenzione reti fognarie.jpg The new pilot project uses data provided by satellites of the European Space Agency. By overlaying the satellite scan on the map of our sewerage networks, we can precisely assess the state of the land and infrastructure. If we find subsidence, we carry out an accurate video inspection to act pre-emptively. Modena, where we operate a total of 2,230 km of sewerage network, and Bologna, where we manage about 4,000, are leading the pilot project. The areas, where the plain is interspersed with hills and mountains, have similar characteristics. In total, the project covers more than 6,200 km of network, on a total area of almost 3,500 km2. We are implementing and refining this monitoring system. We plan to extend it to other infrastructures in the future. With the experimental use of satellite technologies, the Hera Group participates in EuroGEOSS, the European project that puts the most innovative IT systems for the observation of terrestrial phenomena at the service of the environment. The CNR, the Italian National Research Council also participates in the initiative. " We have been enthusiasts of innovation, the development of new technologies and their experimentation", says Franco Fogacci, Water Director of the Hera Group. "These systems, based on satellite tracking, the result of high-level international collaboration, are creating added value for the integrated water service that Hera operates in 239 Italian municipalities, for a catchment area of over 3.6 million inhabitants. no
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A source of clean energy from sewers and wet waste: Biomethane

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. 
Focus

Algae to Value: wastewater turns into a benefit for agriculture

The connection between the water cycle and agriculture has grown increasingly strong over the years, based on a straightforward principle
Focus

Biodiesel has been developed also from used food oil

Fuel may also be extracted from vegetable oils. Used domestic vegetable oil (such as frying oil) which is recovered by multiutility services via roadside containers and drop-off points, is transformed into biodiesel, which in turn is used to fuel the vehicles used for urban waste collection.
Focus

Bus fuel from trash: Hera's pilot project with "START"

To obtain clean energy to power Ravenna's buses by decomposing waste in landfills. 
Focus

Data, the key to a smart future

From city to "smart city" thanks to data: with our detection systems we can monitor traffic trends, air quality and consumption of public parks. 
Focus

Dialogue with the urban context for new energy: the Borgo Panigale cogeneration plant

District heating is already in itself a "sustainable" and environment-friendly solution, because it can guarantee better performance than traditional domestic boilers. In addition, the plant located in Borgo Panigale ensures lower emissions into the environment, more reliability and greater availability of energy. The system can heat the equivalent of 8,000 residential units. Currently, the turbines can produce 35,000 MWh of energy per year, almost twice as much as in the past.
Focus

Ferrara, the city of "green" heat

What's Ferrara's green secret? It's underground, where a geothermal basin feeds its district heating system. The result? 87% of the thermal energy distributed in the city is "clean" and we avoid about 22 thousand tonnes of CO 2 emissions.
Focus

Hera and General Electric together for energy recovery

We have installed a turbo expander at the R&M stations of Ducati's factory in Bologna. The goal is to recover electricity from the decompression process of methane gas. 
Focus

Hergo Reti: the smart approach to emergency service and maintenance

More than 130 thousand emergency response reports involving 1,500 employees in 2019. More than 50 thousand emergency response operations in the first six months of 2020, in a local area that includes Emilia-Romagna, Triveneto and Marche.
Focus

Hergoambiente, waste bin speaking

Our 300,000 waste bins are talking. How? Thanks to a "tag" that always tells us where they are, how they are working and if they have been emptied. Find out more about the projects of HergoAmbiente, Hera Group's "smart" system to support waste management services.
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