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. no

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. It is planned to continue testing over a wider area, starting with Modena, where 1,300 meters are being installed. 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

Making water drinkable with nanotechnology: it’s now a reality! 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. no

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

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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