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2025-03-11 centrata The Hera Group is moving swiftly towards the circular economy of the future and has inaugurated, in Imola (Bologna), at the heart of the country’s Motor Valley, the first plant of its kind in Europe, capable of regenerating carbon fibre on an industrial scale. It is called FIB3R, a name that reflects the 3 R's that stand at the basis of the project: recover, reduce, reuse. Carbon fibre is thus recovered and reused, reducing the use of virgin fibre and therefore the environmental impact that would be required to produce it. There is one important competitive advantage: the fibre regenerated from FIB3R retains the virgin fibre’s characteristic lightness and high strength, guaranteeing - through a state-of-the-art pyrogasification process - that the regenerated product is ready to be reused, rewoven and/or impregnated, for the high-performance purposes for which this type of material is intended. The number of industrial sectors interested in these outstanding features is increasing, ranging from automotive to aerospace, nautical, furniture, textiles and fashion in the broadest sense, only to give a few examples. The Hera Group’s commitment to advancing the ecological transition, as well as the expected increase in demand for carbon fibre over the next few years, have led it to anticipate this megatrend, accepting the challenge of applying it to this material as well, on an industrial scale. This will reinforce the virtuous path towards the circular economy that has been the basis of its strategy for years, combining economic growth with environmental sustainability. A path that places itself at the heart of the Italian Circular Valley, as this very territory has been developing material recovery initiatives with circular solutions for over forty years. This path is the right one, as confirmed by the interest of the European Union, which has allocated FIB3R financing coming to more than 2.2 million euro as part of NextGenerationEU for its innovative technology and the strategic importance of the materials processed. The total investment planned by the Hera Group to build the Imola plant amounts to 8 million euro. At present, the plant is expected to produce 160 tonnes of recycled carbon fibre each year, with energy savings coming to 75% compared to virgin fibre. “FIB3R is the first plant of its kind in Europe able to recycle carbon fibre. It is aimed at promoting short and circular supply chains, in line with the strategy of making our served areas more competitive and resilient,” states Orazio Iacono, CEO of the Hera Group. “FIB3R is also a concrete example of how the Hera Group is able to combine technological innovation and sustainability, by exploiting the cross fertilisation between the advanced skills of the Group’s various sectors. Recovering carbon fibre not only reduces the environmental impact of this waste, but also creates new market opportunities in strategic industrial sectors. Investing in this kind of circular infrastructure increases the resilience of production chains, reduces dependence on imports of critical raw materials and, at the same time, creates value through sustainable business models. With over 100 advanced plants and 5 new facilities under construction, we have consolidated our country’s largest and most modern set of plants for material treatment and recovery, strengthening our role as a reference operator in the sector and a driving force for the circular economy in Italy. Our Business Plan confirms this strategy, with 2 billion euro in investments for 2024-2028 destined for regenerating resources, a commitment intended to generate value for all our stakeholders.” This morning's inauguration of the FIB3R plant within the Group’s main facility in Imola, near Bologna, offered a chance to engage in a debate on the future of carbon fibre, combining innovation and sustainability. After the institutional welcome given by Marco Panieri, Mayor of Imola, and Irene Priolo, Councillor for the Environment, Local Planning, Mobility and Transport and Infrastructures of the Emilia-Romagna Region, Herambiente CEO Andrea Ramonda opened the event. This event saw the participation of important representatives of the industrial and academic communities: Davide Abate, Ferrari’s Chief Technologies and Infrastructures Officer; Roberto Frassine, Chairman of Assocompositi; Loris Giorgini, Director of the Department of Industrial Chemistry at the University of Bologna; Raffaella Luglini, Chief Sustainability Officer Leonardo; Horacio Pagani, Founder of Pagani Automobili; Andrea Rangone, Full Professor of Entrepreneurship and Digital Business Innovation at the Milan Politecnico; Ferruccio Resta, Chairman of the Fondazione Bruno Kessler FBK. The meeting came to a conclusion with a contribution by Orazio Iacono, CEO of the Hera Group.   Before FIB3R The Imola plant was developed by Group subsidiary Herambiente, Italy’s leading waste recovery and treatment operator, which had been experimenting with the carbon fibre recovery process for some time. This involved a collaboration with the Department of Industrial Chemistry of the University of Bologna and its technological partner Curti Costruzioni Meccaniche, a Ravenna-based company and leader in the production of automatic machines for industrial applications, which offered its knowledge and pilot plant to model the formula being studied. After three years of tests, the Hera Group, based on its expertise in engineering and waste treatment, industrially developed the project and built the FIB3R plant, to recycle composite materials and help bridge the gap between supply and demand of virgin fibre, reducing its environmental impact.   Data sheet How carbon fibre is reborn In the Imola plant, the rebirth of carbon fibre happens inside a 60-metre tunnel where an innovative and advanced pyrogasification process takes place. In the first phase, pyrolysis, the carbon fibre, which is more resistant to heat, is released from the resin, and in the second phase, gasification guarantees a regenerated fibre of the highest quality, pure, shiny and entirely sustainable as regards the environment. The resin decomposed in a gaseous form is reused to generate part of the energy required for the process, maximising energy recovery. The dust remaining in the fibres is vacuumed and sent to the abatement system. The result, after treatment, is the finest high-purity carbon fibre, with all its mechanical properties intact and ready to be rewoven and impregnated for all the typical uses of virgin fibre.   Energy savings and closing the circle The recycling is potentially infinite and energy savings are very high compared to the production of virgin fibre, which is extremely energy intensive due to the high temperatures used. Furthermore, producing virgin carbon fibre requires the use of fossil raw materials and an increased reliance on landfills, since waste from fibre processing is almost exclusively destined for disposal. Life cycle analysis shows that energy demand for producing recycled fibre is 75% lower and avoids 74% of greenhouse gas emissions, significantly reducing disposals in landfills. And that’s not all: the unique nature of FIB3R also depends on the total traceability of the processed material. The used carbon fibre, in fact, enters the plant inside containers equipped with a QR code, which contains their identity card: technical characteristics, weight and origin. Once the process is complete, the same traced material returns to its owner in the form of regenerated carbon fibre, closing the circle and ensuring maximum sustainability, transparency and quality.   FIB3R’s travelling companions To be effective, the closed cycle that distinguishes the innovative Imola plant needs partnerships between Hera Group and companies in the complex carbon chain, given that this material is increasingly present in hi-tech production sectors and, consequently, in waste management cycles. The Leonardo Group has already taken up the challenge of applying the circular economy to its production processes and, in this specific case, through its Aerostructures Division, it has launched an industrial synergy with the Hera Group by supporting a project within the Imola plant to recover carbon fibres used to reinforce the polymer matrix composites used to construct aircraft parts. Therefore, thanks to Herambiente’s assets and the know-how developed in the Leonardo Group’s laboratories, this precious material will be recycled with positive consequences in terms of sustainability and circularity. More specifically, Leonardo’s Aerostructures Division will confer to Herambiente part of the waste fibres deriving from the construction of the components of some of the best-known civil aircraft in the commercial aviation sector, such as the stabiliser of the ATR turboprop, the fuselage and horizontal stabiliser of the Boeing 787, and the tail pieces of the Airbus A220. 20250311 PR Hera Group unveils FIB3R.pdf 12:47:00 fib3r Download Press Release fib3r

2025-03-07 The Ministry of the Environment and Energy Security, the Italian Gas Committee and Hera’s subsidiary Inrete Distribuzione Energia have signed an operating protocol to test the introduction of a mixture of natural gas and up to 10% hydrogen into household networks. The project involves a residential area in the province of Modena, and internationally recognized bodies have been tasked with supervising safety aspects. centrata The Ministry for the Environment and Energy Security (MASE), the Italian Gas Committee (CIG) and Inrete Distribuzione Energia (a company part of the Hera Group) have signed a protocol to carry out studies and field tests on mixtures of natural gas and hydrogen to be injected into distribution networks. This is the first project to fall under the framework agreement signed by MASE and CIG aimed at creating favourable conditions for developing trials with mixtures of hydrogen and natural gas, to gradually introduce increasing percentages of low-carbon gas into gas networks. The “pilot” operating protocol, for the first time in Italy, calls for mixtures containing up to 10% hydrogen to be gradually used to supply an isolated segment of the network. While complying with the most demanding safety requirements, this is aimed at testing solutions that use green gasses in the civil and residential sectors as well. These energy vectors with a low environmental impact, in fact, could contribute to the decarbonisation of local areas with significant environmental benefits, making it possible to make the most of Italy’s existing gas infrastructure, which is unique in Europe in terms of extensiveness, without modifying the current heating systems. The first step of the trial involves feeding a mixture with 5% hydrogen into the network, which will contribute to ongoing studies before increasing the percentage, helping meet the country’s need to diversify its energy sources. In line with its agreement with MASE and CIG, Inrete will therefore start testing in the upcoming months, cooperating with numerous partners and being supervised by internationally recognised bodies. The tests will involve operators from the entire gas supply chain, from transport to manufacturers of technological equipment, up to manufacturers of boilers and gas burners. The partial replacement of natural gas with hydrogen - whose combustion does not produce carbon dioxide (CO2), mainly responsible for global warming - is indeed a solution pursued by the Ministry of the Environment and Energy Security, in collaboration with specialists in the field and with the aim of facilitating the energy transition. Trials within a project that started in 2022 in Castelfranco Emilia (Modena) As of 2022, Inrete is at the head of an initiative that has already successfully tested, with temporary two-step trials, the introduction of a mixture of natural gas and 2% hydrogen into municipal gas networks. The study involved around forty families living in a residential area of Castelfranco Emilia (Modena), all of whom were adequately informed. Having acquired the necessary know-how, in terms of both technology and safety, the Hera Group company, thanks to the protocol signed with the MASE and the CIG, and in agreement with the same residential area’s municipal administration, will launch the third phase of experimentation. It will thus be possible to explore the different operational aspects that enable the infrastructure to receive, in its current configuration, mixtures of natural gas and 5% hydrogen. This time, too, cooperation coming from citizens will be crucial, at no cost to the families residing in the area chosen for the tests. Indeed, the latter will also be carried out downstream of the meter, with checks on the operations of domestic gas appliances in households, including boilers and burners, to obtain a precise evaluation of the results. “The pilot agreement we have just signed with the Ministry of the Environment and Energy Security and the Italian Gas Committee,” comments Hera Group CEO Orazio Iacono, “comes as important recognition of our ability to innovate in enabling infrastructures to support transitions, first and foremost the energy transition. The need to diversify our country’s energy sources, which is now urgent, cannot disregard the use of green gases such as hydrogen, and in this context our assets are ready to increase the percentage of the blend in networks, as foreseen by the protocol, reaching 10% and confirming their alignment with the European taxonomy. These trials represent an additional driver for developing strategic and innovative activities aimed at reducing the carbon footprint, by accompanying customers in the energy transition and ensuring the resilience of the areas served.” “We are proud to have signed this operational protocol with MASE and CIG for tests involving green gas,” adds Federico Bronzini, CEO of Inrete Distribuzione Energia. “We have thus confirmed our commitment to pursuing advanced solutions aimed at reducing energy dependence on traditional fossil fuels. Thanks to significant investments and our experience in the sector, we are ready to concretely promote, once again, the path towards decarbonisation in the civil and residential sector as well.” NexMeter, the advanced meter developed by the Hera Group For a correct gas measurement, this trial calls for the use of NexMeters by all users in Castelfranco Emilia involved in the project. NexMeter is the G4 gas meter developed by the Hera Group, already able to measure mixtures of methane and hydrogen; this device, which has opened up new possibilities in the sector thanks to both the advanced technologies it uses and its safety functions, is already found in almost 300,000 Italian homes connected to the gas distribution networks managed by the Hera Group’s distribution companies. The project’s collaborators: BAXI; Bosch; Electrolux; Emerson; Ferroli, Immergas; Innovhub SSI; Pietro Fiorentini; RINA; Snam; TdZ, Valpres, a Bonomi Group company, Alfa Engineering and Idrotherm 2000. PR_Inrete_Mase_Cig.pdf sede Hera 110x150.jpg