The Municipality of Catanzaro, as a contracting authority, and Italgas Reti signed the contract for the assignment of the natural gas distribution service in the Catanzaro-Crotone territorial area for the next 12 years. The award of the announcement, at the outcome of a tender awarded at the end of 2024, allows Italgas to give continuity to the management of the service in the two provinces and guarantees the 109 municipalities of the Etem (110,000 customers served) the realization of an important investment plan of over 190 million euros.
The mayor of Catanzaro, Nicola Fiorita, and the CEO of Italgas Reti, Pier Lorenzo Dell’Orco took part in the signing of the contract.
“To complete a path that started from the previous administration and which was perfected during my mandate as mayor – commented the first citizen of Catanzaro, Nicola Fiorita – I can today express all the satisfaction and pride for a goal that sees the area of Catanzaro and Crotone first, in its kind, in Calabria to start a new unitary and innovative management model that still has few precedents in Italy. The administration of the capital city has played an active and driving role in this challenge that prompted all the communities involved to start a joint path in the management of a fundamental public service, such as natural gas, while defining the granting of fees in favor of the entities. By entrusting us to the recognized Italgas know-how, we are convinced that improvements can be created for distribution networks, bringing methane to vast areas still without, with a view to efficiency and energy sustainability “.
“The award of the concession in the Etem Catanzaro-Crotone represents an important signal of continuity and development for the territory and for local communities-he said Pier Lorenzo Dell’OrcoCEO of Italgas Reti -. With the start of the new contract, we intend to accelerate investments in efficiency and digitization of the service, continuing in the interventions for extension of the network to the territories not yet served and developing technologically cutting -edge infrastructures capable of enabled the progressive decarbonization of consumption through renewable gases. As italgas networks we will continue to make available skills, innovation and industrial vision to accompany the energy transition and contribute to a sustainable and resilient development of the local energy system “.
Among the expected technical interventions are indicated in particular: the laying of over 170 kilometers of new conduct, including the methaneization of the Municipality of Isola di Capo Rizzuto, in addition to the strengthening of about 90 kilometers of network, in order to make methane available to about 8,000 new customers; the complete modernization of plants that will be equipped with monitoring and remote control systems; the completion of the replacement plan of traditional meters with Smart Metter of the latest generation.
The important investment plan will be able to produce a significant effect on the local GDP with positive reflections on the production system and on the overall employment rate of the two provinces.
In addition, the extension of the service to new territories will allow important savings in the bill quantifiable overall in about 140 million euros – over the 12 years of concession – as a result of the lower cost of natural gas compared to the other fuels used today. Economic advantages to which are also added environmental benefits calculated in an overall reduction in the emissions in the atmosphere of about 300 Tons of CO2 and 6 tons of fine dust.