Comunicati: Press release

The European leader in gas distribution is born

Italgas CEO, Paolo Gallo: “An extraordinary achievement just three months after closing. Operational efficiencies and industrial synergies expected as early as 2025.”

Milan, 2 July 2025 – The merger by incorporation of 2i Rete Gas into Italgas Reti, the main operating company of the Italgas Group becomes effective. This milestone marks the completion of the integration process started immediately after the acquisition finalized in April, supported by a capital increase that was met with strong market support.

“Just three months after the closing of the 2i Rete Gas acquisition,” commented Paolo Gallo, CEO of Italgas, “we are reaching the first milestone with a speed that is unprecedented for operations of this scale. It is an extraordinary result, the outcome of a clear vision, rigorous planning, and above all, the great professionalism of the people involved. This integration makes it possible to achieve operational efficiencies and industrial synergies, to the benefit of territories, communities, and more broadly of the Italian and international gas distribution sector.”

With the incorporation of 2i Rete Gas, the Group is reshaping its territorial organization, achieving a more extensive presence across Italy, with operations in over 4,000 municipalities and approximately 12 million customers served through 150,000 kilometres of network and a workforce of around 6,500 employees.

The creation of this new corporate entity enables full implementation of the roadmap set out in the 2024–2030 Strategic Plan, presented to the market last October. The Plan foresees cost synergies, operational efficiencies, and incremental revenues from digitalization investments amounting to approximately €280 million by 2030. These benefits stem from the combination of Italy’s two leading operators, the adoption of best practices from both companies, and the advantages offered by digitalization and extensive use of Artificial Intelligence – now further enhanced by the Group’s increased scale. The merger, completed ahead of schedule, will allow for detailed representation of the many value creation levers in the upcoming 2025–2031 Industrial Plan, to be presented on 29 October.

Athens, 20 June 2025 – Italgas, the National Bank of Greece, and the General State Archives have today signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) aimed at digitizing and preserving documents related to the development of the gas industry in Greece—from importation to distribution. The objective is to create a comprehensive, accessible, and collaborative digital narrative and to promote educational and cultural initiatives tied to the growth of the sector and the development of the country’s energy infrastructure.

The agreement was signed at the Italian Archaeological School of Athens by Paolo Gallo, CEO of Italgas, Ernestos Panayiotou, General Manager Transformation, Strategy and International Activities of the National Bank of Greece and Amalia Pappa, Deputy General Director of the General State Archives, in the presence of the Italian Minister of Culture, Alessandro Giuli, and the Italian Ambassador to Greece, Paolo Cuculi.

“I am very pleased that today Italgas is signing this agreement with two important Hellenic institutions, the National Bank of Greece and the General State Archives, confirming the high priority the company places on Greece, including in the fields of digitalization, protection, and preservation of historical heritage,” emphasized Paolo Cuculi, the Italian Ambassador to Greece. “Enhancing our history, both modern and contemporary, is indeed a distinctive trait of our two countries, and this agreement is a perfect example of that.”

“This Memorandum is much more than a simple collaboration,” said Paolo Gallo, CEO of Italgas. “With this agreement, we are putting our expertise and the technologies developed by our digital transformation laboratory at the service of an ambitious goal: to build a bridge between past and future, between culture and innovation, by making an immense historical heritage easily accessible to all. The Italgas Heritage Lab has demonstrated how the digitization of archives can become a powerful driver of knowledge, identity, and development, available to everyone. And today, we are pleased to share this approach with the National Bank of Greece and the General State Archives, in the awareness that digitizing means protecting a heritage, making it eternal – but not only that; it also enables new ways of experiencing and sharing knowledge.”

“We firmly believe that this Memorandum of Understanding promotes cooperation between institutions and enhances their extroversion. We are joining forces in the effort to highlight and promote the industrial heritage of Italy and Greece, with a particular emphasis on the history of natural gas—introduced in Greece in the second half of the 19th century» highlighted Amalia Pappa, Deputy General Director of the General State Archives. “The General State Archives of Greece are closely linked to the nation’s historical narrative, safeguarding public records from the establishment of the modern Greek state to the present day. In doing so, they ensure the continuity and preservation of Greece’s administrative, political, economic and social history. Thus, the selection and documentation of the relevant archival material of the General State Archives and the Historical Archives of the National Bank of Greece, as well as its  digitization and online availability, will create a set of documents accessible not only to researchers but to everyone”.

“The collaboration of the National Bank of Greece through its Historical Archive with Italgas and the General State Archives, as reflected in the Memorandum, demonstrates our steadfast commitment to protecting historical memory, deepening awareness on financial history, and capturing cultural synergies across borders and industries” said Ernestos Panayiotou, General Manager of Transformation, Strategy and International Activities of the National Bank. “Within the framework of the Memorandum and by utilizing the latest technologies, the important documents held by the Historical Archive of the National Bank of Greece, as well as the relevant scientific research that will be carried out, will shed light on the use of gas in our country from the 1920s to the 1970s as well as on the course of the energy industry in Greece more broadly. Safeguarding and digitizing these archival materials will ensure that the records of our past are not only preserved but also made accessible to future generations”.

Specifically, this project aims to:

• entrust historians and specialized archivists—selected by Enaon, the Italgas Group company operating in Greece—with the curatorship of the content, with support from the National Bank of Greece to ensure scientific rigor and historical accuracy;
• develop an intuitive and secure digital platform for consulting the documentary heritage while preserving its authenticity;
• launch initiatives targeted at schools and educational institutions to raise awareness among younger generations about the importance of energy infrastructure, the responsible use of resources, and the historical and social value of industrial heritage;
• produce materials and tools with educational and cultural purposes, capable of narrating the evolution of the gas industry as a driver of territorial progress;
• organize public events retracing the key stages in the development of the gas industry, highlighting its crucial role in the economic and social growth of local areas.

This is a project that unites two countries under the banner of memory, innovation, shared industrial culture, and the work of Italgas and its Greek subsidiaries Enaon and Enaon EDA.

Milan, February 11, 2025 – Italgas and the University of Pavia have signed a collaboration agreement focused on enhancing the security and resilience of gas distribution networks, mitigating natural risks, network monitoring, and predictive maintenance.

The agreement was signed at the Italgas Digital Factory in Milan by Pier Lorenzo Dell’Orco, CEO of Italgas Reti, and Francesco Svelto, Rector of the University of Pavia.

This partnership will focus on the following key areas of research:

• Innovative solutions for gas distribution networks and strategies to mitigate the impact of natural hazards.
• Integrated monitoring and early warning systems for geohazards affecting the environment and urban areas where the network operates.
• Development of physical models and digital twins, including the application of trenchless technologies for upgrading existing pipelines.
• Experimental characterization of infrastructure components, with a particular focus on the seismic sensor integrated into Nimbus, the 4.0 smart gas meter developed by Italgas. The large-scale deployment of Nimbus will enable the collection of detailed seismic event data, currently unavailable at this level of granularity.

The activities under this agreement will be carried out in collaboration with the Department of Civil Engineering and Architecture (DICAr) at the University of Pavia, home to one of Italy’s largest structural engineering laboratories (the “Giorgio Macchi” Laboratory), and the EUCENTRE Foundation, a world-leading center for seismic engineering research. The University of Pavia is a founding member of EUCENTRE alongside Italy’s National Department of Civil Protection, the National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (INGV), and the IUSS Pavia Graduate School.

Pier Lorenzo Dell’Orco, CEO of Italgas Reti, commented: “Climate change and increasingly frequent natural events pose growing risks to infrastructure. To address these challenges, we must act proactively by investing in cutting-edge technologies that ensure network resilience and service continuity. Our collaboration with the University of Pavia, a center of excellence, aligns perfectly with this objective. By combining our expertise, we aim to develop innovative solutions that make the network even smarter, more efficient, and flexible—leveraging real-time data from the field and the knowledge of Europe’s leading gas distribution company.”

Francesco Svelto, Rector of the University of Pavia, added: “Today, the University of Pavia is establishing a new partnership with an outstanding company in a highly strategic sector. I am particularly proud of this initiative, as it opens new avenues for research and innovation while providing our students with valuable learning and career opportunities. Our university is strongly committed to bridging the gap between academia and industry—whether through structured internship programs like the ‘Laurea Plus’ track or by integrating corporate R&D centers within our campus facilities. This partnership will generate significant benefits not only for students but also for researchers and society as a whole. I am confident that this collaboration with Italgas will be both long-lasting and highly rewarding.”

Milan, January 9^th 2025 – The collaboration between Italgas and Jasmine Paolini, Olympic champion and current World No. 4 in the WTA rankings, has been renewed for 2025.

A successful collaboration, launched in June of last year, during which Jasmine achieved the highest-ever ranking for an Italian tennis player in the world rankings, equaling Francesca Schiavone’s record.

This is an important year for Jasmine Paolini, who will aim to confirm her outstanding performance from 2024, which saw her reach two Grand Slam finals, win a WTA 1000 title, become the first Olympic gold medalist in Italian tennis history, and triumph in the Billie Jean King Cup (formerly the Fed Cup) with the Italian National team.

Italgas enthusiastically chose to continue supporting Jasmine, sharing values such as a constant drive for excellence and self-improvement, resilience in the face of growing external pressures, competitiveness, team spirit, and the ability to approach new and ambitious challenges always with a smile.

For Italgas, Paolini is not just an extraordinary athlete but also a brilliant, positive, and talented woman who embodies the healthiest values of sports and competition: a positive role model for younger generations. Being associated with such a beautiful and successful story is a great asset for the Group.

Jasmine Paolini Bio

Jasmine Paolini is an Italian tennis player born in 1996 in Castelnuovo di Garfagnana. Coached by Renzo Furlan, she made her professional debut in 2011. In 2021, she broke into the Top 50 following her first WTA titles in singles in Portoroz (Slovenia) and in doubles in Hamburg (Germany). In 2023, she entered the Top 30 and achieved her first major victories against Top 10 opponents such as Caroline Garcia and Elena Rybakina. The following year marked a turning point in her career, with her rise to World No. 4, winning a WTA 1000 title in Dubai, reaching two Grand Slam finals at Roland Garros and Wimbledon, and qualifying for the WTA Finals in both singles and doubles.

Milan, 27 December 2024 – Bludigit, the digital company of the Italgas Group, is consolidating its international presence through a strategic partnership with Azerigas Production Union, the SOCAR group company responsible for the distribution and supply of natural gas in the Republic of Azerbaijan, serving approximately 2.6 million users.

The agreement between the two companies aims to support Azerigas in its digital transformation journey by implementing advanced technologies for gas leak detection and providing strategic digital consulting services.

Among the key activities offered by Bludigit is the Gas Leak Detection service using Picarro technology, currently the most advanced system in the field of gas network monitoring. This solution enables precise and timely identification of leaks. By deploying two vehicles equipped with state-of-the-art gas analyzers, which are already operational in Baku, more than 2,400 kilometers of the gas distribution network in the Azerbaijani capital will be monitored. This strategic activity will help reduce fugitive emissions, improve infrastructure safety, and enhance the overall sustainability of the system.

Bludigit’s support also extends to conducting an in-depth analysis of the current state of digitalization of Azerigas’s assets and processes. This initiative allows for the development of a digital roadmap that will lead to a more efficient operational model, enhancing both service quality and operational performance.

“This collaboration reaffirms Bludigit’s role as an international leader in the digitalization of energy networks” – said Marco Barra Caracciolo, CEO of Bludigit. “Thanks to our state-of-the-art technologies and solid expertise, Azerigas will effectively tackle modernization challenges, detect leaks with exceptional accuracy, and further strengthen the safety of its infrastructure. This is a strategic project that will significantly contribute to Azerigas’s digital transformation and to managing its network in an increasingly sustainable way”.

New York, December 16, 2024 – The CEO of Italgas, Paolo Gallo, was awarded a Special Mention in New York at the 2024 UNCA Awards, a prestigious ceremony organized by the United Nations Correspondents Association. The initiative aims to highlight personalities from the world of communication and business who have stood out for their contributions to global issues such as climate change and international crises.

Paolo Gallo received the Special Mention in the presence of the UN Deputy Secretary-General, Amina J. Mohammed. The award adds to a legacy of notable recipients, which in previous years has included figures such as Bill Clinton, Richard Branson, Ted Turner, Jeffrey Sachs, Nicolas Cage, Stevie Wonder, and Michael Douglas.

During the ceremony, Italgas’ efforts to promote sustainability through the digital transformation of gas distribution networks and the adoption of innovative technologies were highlighted. These initiatives have contributed to reducing emissions and improving energy efficiency. Additionally, the effectiveness of Italgas’ model in the energy sector was recognized, acknowledging its significant role in advancing global goals for a transition to a net-zero emissions economy.

“This recognition is a tribute to the collective work of the entire Italgas team, which has placed sustainability at the core of our mission, inspiring and guiding every strategic decision,” said Paolo Gallo, CEO of Italgas. “Our commitment is to shape a safe, sustainable, and competitive energy transition by progressively integrating natural gas with renewable, zero-carbon solutions such as biomethane and hydrogen, while significantly reducing methane emissions. Our leadership in this area was recently reaffirmed at COP29, where UNEP awarded us the Gold Standard for methane emissions reduction for the fourth consecutive year. Innovation, sustainability, and social responsibility are the pillars on which to build a better future, and we will continue to invest in them with determination and vision.”