Speaking at the Economist’s 8th Sustainability Summit for SE Europe and the Mediterranean, Enaon’s CEO presented the Company’s vision towards a sustainable future
The vision and the strategy of Enaon, the Sustainable Networks Company of Italgas Group, towards a clean and sustainable future, was presented by the Company’s CEO, Ms Barbara Morgante, during her presentation at the “8th Sustainability Summit for SE Europe and the Mediterranean”, organized by Economist Impact in collaboration with SDSN Greece, under the auspices of the H.E. of the President of Hellenic Republic.
Ms Morgante, speaking among distinguished speakers in the thematic session “Greece’s Energy Transition: an Evaluation”, underlined the crucial role of gas distribution infrastructure towards a fair and competitive energy transition and the emergence of sustainable solutions for the environment and society.
“Natural gas will continue to play an important role in the future, supporting energy production. To achieve green goals, the solution is not to use a unique technology as no One-Size-Fits-All Solution” Ms Morgante said. Additionally, she highlighted the advantage of the existing infrastructure since they can be used for the distribution of renewable gases: “In Italy, about 73,000 km of grid are constructed, while in Greece more than 8,000 km of grid are constructed. In Italy the networks are digitised and the same will be done in Greece. The strategic goal of Enaon is to fully digitise networks in Greece, directly supporting the distribution of biomethane and, in the future, hydrogen”.
The CEO stressed that the network belonging to the Enaon group is ready to receive biomethane and has already signed a Memorandum of Cooperation with the Hellenic Association of Biogas Producers (HABIO) as well as Memorandums of Cooperation with other producers who have expressed great interest in the conversion of their plants to the biomethane production. “There is already interest throughout the country to upgrade biogas plants or building new plants for the production of biomethane to be connected to natural gas distribution networks, which in many cases are less than 5km away” Ms Morgante noted. She also highlighted that the development of biomethane market in Greece, subject to the issuance of the respective regulatory framework, is crucial as the production of biomethane provides multiple benefits, since it diversifies the national energy mix and enhances the country’s energy security. At the same time, the production of biomethane contributes to the circular economy and the sustainable development of rural areas, creating a positive footprint on local communities.
In this context, Ms Morgante underlined that gas infrastructure is essential to overcome the energy trilemma. It provides a cost-effective solution that ensures energy security and supports the green transition. Gas distribution networks are able to meet the diverse energy needs of residential, commercial and industrial consumers and are a key link in the Greek energy system.
It should be noted that the 2024-2030 Strategic Plan of the parent company Italgas Group, which was recently presented, envisages investments of €1 billion for the expansion and digital transformation of the natural gas distribution networks in Greece. The new investments will make it possible to extend the Greek network to over 11,000 km and increase the number of consumers served to around 1 million by 2030. These investments contribute to the creation of a sustainable infrastructure in line with Greece’s energy transition objectives, while creating added value for all stakeholders and bringing significant benefits to the country.
Sustainability is at the heart of Enaon’s philosophy and, following the example of Italgas, it has aligned its objectives with the Group’s Sustainable Value Creation Plan, reflecting its practical commitment to a sustainable future for all. This plan includes action lines and measurable objectives up to 2030, with Planet, People and Partnerships as its main pillars.
As highlighted by Enaon’s CEO, the Company, drawing on the expertise of its parent group Italgas, is investing in innovative technologies and infrastructure to improve the energy efficiency and overall sustainability of its operations.
Additionally, the Company ensures the reduction of leaks by implementing advanced solutions, such as the Picarro Surveyor technology introduced by Italgas since 2018.
The implementation of this technological innovation increases the speed and sensitivity of detection, as well as the range of areas checked. It also allows intelligent preventive maintenance strategies to be implemented, ultimately increasing the benefits over costs, to the benefit of consumers and the environment. Enaon has already inspected its entire network during 2023 and aims to inspect almost 1,5 times its length by the end of the year. Its efforts have also been recognised internationally, with the OGMP 2.0 ‘Gold Standard’ for rigorous measurement and reporting of methane emissions.
