Infrastructure sustainability and safety

For the development of new sites, in addition to the technical-economic feasibility criteria, Snam adopts procedures that meet strict environmental compatibility and safety assessments.

The assessments of the environmental effects involve all the phases of the work life cycle, site selection, planning, construction, operation and decommissioning. These assessments are made within the purview of the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) procedure, at the end of which the central and local administrations issue the permits required under the current law.

In the gas pipeline design phase, the path is chosen among different alternatives, trying to avoid or reduce to the necessary minimum the network’s passage through areas of significant natural or cultural interest, archaeological areas, geologically unstable and man-made areas or those in which the construction of new residential developments are expected.

During the construction phase, for special cases, procedures and technologies consistent with technical feasibility are used, which lessen interference with the surrounding environment, such as reducing the extent of the work area, minimising the provisional worksite infrastructure and the employment of trenchless execution techniques (tunnels and micro-tunnels) as alternatives to traditional excavation. Once the installation is done, an accurate environmental restoration activity is carried out so that the land can return to its original conditions.

During operations, the plants are monitored 24 hours per day, and simulation and optimisation programmes are used to guarantee the best operational settings with the goal of the reducing fuel consumption to convey the gas and to consequently limit the emission levels.

The pipeline layout is then inspected regularly by foot, by vehicle and using helicopters to detect potentially hazardous situations caused, for example, by the works of third parties in proximity of pipelines. Geological inspections of the pipeline section are also carried out to identify potential instabilities along the sections. Similarly, any land slide at specific points along the route is also kept under surveillance, using appropriate sophisticated equipment, if needed. Pipeline integrity is also monitored by passing a smart pig inside them to detect any material defect or anomaly.

In addition to the drills required by the Seveso Directive, in 2017, at the Panigaglia regasification terminals, Snam conducted monthly safety drills simulating accidental leaks of LNG. A joint Security and Safety exercise was also carried out with the Port Authority, the Fire Department, the police, and the emergency medical services.

Cyber risk management and operational continuity strategy

Over the years, Snam developed its own Cyber Security Strategy to deal with cyber threats, with constant attention to the changing regulations (Italian and European Union) in the field of critical infrastructure and essential services. The upgrading of their processes with the provisions and requirements of the ISO/IEC 27001 (Information Security Management System) and ISO22301 (Operational Continuity Management System) standards lie within the purview of this strategy. The Cyber Security Strategy is reviewed and updated on an annual basis, taking into account the requirements and demands originating from the business, any changes in operational processes, the results of the risk analysis and findings from the audit activities.

In order to anchor the cyber risk analysis to more objective models capable of analysing a continuous change in the setting, in 2017 Snam developed a new tool to govern the Cyber Security risk which, starting from signals originating from the Cyber Protection solutions, can measure the extent to which their systems and processes are exposed to advanced IT threats (e.g. ransomware and social engineering). Analysing current attack trends, Snam can focus its efforts on combating the major threats and on resolving the most critical vulnerabilities, prioritising on one hand the choices of strategic investment, and patch the management activities on the other.