Natural gas arrives in southern Sardinia: Medea puts another 130 km of native digital networks into operation in the basins around Cagliari

Activation began in Ussana and will end on February 17th in Villaperuccio. It involves over 6,500 potential customers in basins 26, 27, 35 and 37 adjacent to basin 38 in the regional capital. Cagliari, 11 February 2021 - In the last few days, work has begun on the commissioning of a further 130 kilometres of native digital networks serving eight municipalities in southern Sardinia, included in basins 26, 27, 35 and 37 adjacent to basin 38 in Cagliari, which is also under concession to the Italgas Group. These include the towns of Ussana, Nuraminis, San Sperate (basin 37), Serrenti, Sanluri (basin 27), Barrali (basin 26), Masainas and Villaperuccio (basin 35) which, by February 17th, will be reached by natural gas. Here, as in the other basins under concession, Medea (Italgas Group) has built new distribution networks equipped with integrated sensors for remote control, as well as preparation for optical fibres. The networks will initially be supplied by tank wagons, while waiting the installation of the already planned cryogenic LNG (liquefied natural gas) deposits, which will guarantee continuity of service and maximum flexibility in the provision of methane. In the eight municipalities, with a total of approximately 32,000 inhabitants, the company has already carried out approximately 5,800 pre-settings and collected 6,500 expressions of interest in connecting to the network. The start of distribution activities was also promptly communicated to the Sales Companies so that they could proceed to sign the supply contracts. Paolo Gallo, CEO of Italgas, commented: "Sardinia is the main hub for a new generation of infrastructure set to change the gas distribution paradigm in Italy and Europe and enhance significantly the energy transition. This network, the most advanced in the Country, will also be able to accommodate renewable gases such as biomethane, hydrogen and synthetic methane in the near future”. Through Medea, a distribution company of the Group, Italgas is present in 17 of the 38 basins into which Sardinia is divided, including the main towns. On the island, Italgas began operating in 2017 through the acquisition of several operators and concessions. The works for the implementation of the new digital networks are at an advanced stage in all concession areas and the intervention has already contributed to the creation of more than 600 new jobs in the allied industries.