Italy now allows biomethane injection into the gas grid

Recently, Italy, the first European country to use natural gas as a vehicle fuel, now representing more than 700.000 vehicles in Europe (more than half of the total European NGV running park), introduced a law to define the rule to allow biomethane injection into the gas grid.

The Italian Decree n.28of 03/03/2011 stipulates in art. 8, 20,21, that the development of Natural Gas infrastructures is a national priority and the codification of biomethane to be injected into the Natural Gas grid is also a priority of the Italian Authorities for Energy; furthermore incentives to be defined to boost investments into biomethane infrastructures.

The Italian industry for Natural Gas vehicles, including NGVA Europe member NGV System Italia (Italian Association of the natural gas for transport) advocated strongly for acknowledging the great potential contribution for NG and biomethane being injected into the gas grid in the process of the implementation of the Directive on Renewables into national law.

“We are proud to say that the role of NG and biomethane has been valorised and kept into consideration by the Italian decision makers in order to be able to achieve the target of 10% of RES by 2020 in the transport sector”, said NGV System Italia.”  Concrete actions have been taken into account.

The key articles of the Italian decree referred to read as follows *(translated from Italian):

Art.8
(Dispositions for promoting the use of bio-methane)

1. In order to promote the use of bio-methane for transport, the Regions apply specific simplifications in the authorization procedures for building new methane filling stations and adaptation of the already built ones.

2. In order to stimulate the use of bio-methane for transport, methane filling stations and relative connection to the already existing natural gas grid are considered public utility network, they are urgent and cannot be deferred.

Art.20
(Connection between bio-methane production plants and the natural gas grid)

1. Within three months from the day in which this decree becomes effective, the Authority for Electricity and Gas enacts specific directives concerning technical and economic conditions for the connection service supply of bio-methane production plants to the natural gas grid with the obligation for connection from the company managing network.

2. Directives related to paragraph 1 of this article in accordance with safety rules and system operation:

a) establish a minimum chemical and physical properties of bio-methane, particularly regarding quality, odorization and gas pressure, needed to inject it into the natural gas grid;
b) promote a large use of bio-methane, insofar bio-methane can be transported and injected into the natural gas grid without creating technical or safety problems; for this purpose the non-discriminatory connection to the grid of the bio-methane production plants must result coherent with technical and economical feasibility and be consistent with technical rules and safety requirements;
c) foresee the publication by networks managers, of the technical standards for the connection to the natural gas grid of the bio-methane production plants;
d) fix the procedures, timing and criteria to determine costs for the completion of all phases needed for the individuation and the realization of the definitive solution for connection;
e) submit to mandatory terms the activities charged to the network managers, identifying alternative sanctions and procedures in case of inaction;
f) establish the cases and rules to enable the subject requesting the connection by his own, to create the facilities necessary for the connection, identifying the measures that the network manager must adopt in order to define the technical requirements of such systems;
g) foresee the publication, by the network managers, of the technical and economic conditions necessary for the adaption works for the connection of new plants to the natural gas grid;
h) foresee resolution procedures of disputes arising between  producers and network managers with binding decisions, taken by the Authority for Electricity and Gas, binding between the parties;
i) establish the measures necessary to ensure that the tariff imposition of fees charged to the subject injecting bio-methane in the natural gas grid does not penalize the development of plants for bio-methane production.

Art.21
(Promotion of bio-methane injected into the natural gas grid)

1. Bio-methane injected in the natural gas network to the conditions and manner specified in Article 20 is subjected to incentives, on producer demand`s, according to the following ways:

a)by the issue of incentives for the production of electricity from renewable sources, in case it is injected into the network and used, in accordance with the rules for the transport and storage of natural gas, in high efficiency cogeneration plants;
b) by the issue of certificates of injection for consumption in compliance with the Article 2-quarter, paragraph 1, of Decree-Law of 10 January 2006, No. 2, amended and transformed by the Law of 11 March 2006, No. 81, and subsequent amendments, in case bio-methane is injected into the grid and, in accordance with the rules for the transport and storage, used for transport;
c)through the provision of a specific durative and value incentive defined by the decree in paragraph 2, in case it is injected into the gas natural grid. The Authority for Electricity and Gas defines the ways, in which the resources for the provision of the incentive referred to are covered in respect of the proceeds of the tariffs components of natural gas.

Add comment