Sustainable mobility
The natural gas transported through the Snam network can be compressed and used as an alternative to traditional fossil fuels for cars, trucks and buses, with significant environmental benefits in terms of reducing greenhouse gas emissions (-20% and up to 100% if biomethane is used), nitrogen oxides (-75%) and particulate matter (-97%) compared to traditional fuels. Thanks to its extensive and capillary network of methane pipelines, which allows the transport of CNG with low impact on the environment and vehicle traffic, Italy is already the European market leader for methane consumption for automotive transport, with about one billion cubic metres consumed in 2020 and around one million vehicles currently on the roads. Snam, through its subsidiary Snam4Mobility, offers sustainable natural gas mobility solutions with an increasing number of stakeholders operating in the public and private transport sector.
For the period 2020-2024, around Euro 150 million has been allocated to build five hydrogen refuelling stations by 2024 and to build more than 150 new CNG and LNG refuelling stations, with the aim of building 167 by 2023 and 25 by 2020 (+16 compared to 2019). Investments are also intended for the development of “Small-Scale LNG” (SSLNG) infrastructures with the aim of promoting the use and distribution of LNG in favour of sustainable mobility for the transport of ships, trucks and trains, and for which Snam has included a specific target by 2023 in the ESG Scorecard: to reach 250 kton of LNG capacity available for the SSLNG market.
In 2020, this commitment continued through the authorisation activities both for the upgrading of the Panigaglia LNG terminal, which will be adapted to the loading of road tankers for transport use, and for the construction of a micro-liquefaction plant in Campania to allow the loading of road tankers for the distribution of LNG and bio-LNG in Italy. With the aim of promoting sustainable mobility throughout the country, during the year Snam, ratified agreements and partnerships, continuing negotiation and contracting activities with more than 25 counterparties, reaching a total of 132 contracted stations, 20 of which LNG.
Partnerships for sustainable mobility in 2020
In order to expand the network of refuelling stations for natural gas-powered vehicles, Snam has entered into an agreement with Eni for 9 roadside stations, which will be added to the 34 already contracted, with the possibility of extending the agreement to additional stations in the near future.
Snam will collaborate with Landi Renzo Group, world leader in the design and manufacturing of systems and components for gas mobility, to carry out the conversion to natural gas of the car models identified together with Snam4Mobility as most suitable for boosting the spread of CNG.
Snam and CNH Industrial have signed an agreement for the development of biomethane and hydrogen in heavy transport, with an Italian and European perspective. Snam4Mobility proposes itself as a central player in Snam’s decarbonisation strategy, promoting the use of hydrogen and biomethane in one of the sectors in which the race for energy transition is tightest, namely long-haul transport.
Snam has continued to work with Fondazione Ferrovie dello Stato Italiane and Hitachi on the study and operational implementation of the first LNG train on Italian territory. The completion of the pilot project and the maiden voyage of the first trains converted to bio-LNG is scheduled for 2021.
The construction and operation of these stations will also be possible thanks to the work of the subsidiary Cubogas, a manufacturer of refuelling solutions and compression systems implemented at the stations. Possessing such technological expertise will be one of the key elements enabling Snam to be at the forefront of the sector in view of the now imminent hydrogen mobility. In order to develop and strengthen the existing infrastructure, Snam, with the approval of the competent Ministries, has created a web tutorial aimed at providing useful information to enable motorists to refuel with gas and biomethane in self-service mode, a crucial factor in closing the gap in the level of service offered to Italian customers compared to other European countries.
Among the various activities carried out by Cubogas is that of fuel makers for private filling stations, a sector in which production more than doubled in 2020 compared to the previous year. This business area represents, like the more traditional ones, an important opportunity for the rapid spread of sustainable mobility in public and private fleets.
2020 also marked the first steps in Snam4Mobility’s international expansion. Of particular interest are the collaborations established with the Israeli and Indian markets, thanks to important partners such as the Adani Group, which offers the opportunity to export the business model successfully developed in Italy to other countries.