- The EIB has approved a loan of up to €264 million to Snam for construction of new infrastructure dedicated to the integration of biomethane production plants into Italy’s gas transmission network
- The signing of the first tranche of €140 million was announced today
- The project provides for the construction of 240 km of new pipelines for the transmission of 12 000 GWh/year of renewable energy, in line with the objectives of the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRRP) and the REPowerEU plan
The European Investment Bank (EIB) has approved a loan of up to €264 million to Snam, with the aim of facilitating the integration of biomethane production plants into Italy’s energy infrastructure and promoting the transition to a more sustainable and diversified energy system.
The first tranche of €140 million was signed in the presence of EIB Vice-President Gelsomina Vigliotti and Snam CEO Agostino Scornajenchi.
This financing will enable the construction of 240 kilometres of new gas pipelines dedicated to connecting plants producing biomethane from renewable sources with the national gas transmission network. The new infrastructure will be able to transport up to 12 000 GWh of energy per year, equivalent to 1.13 billion cubic metres of biomethane, thus helping to achieve the target set under the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRRP), which provides for the production of 5 billion cubic metres per year by 2030.
The investments financed are aligned with the EU taxonomy and fall within the goals of the European Union's REPowerEU Plan, which aims to strengthen the security of domestic energy supply by diversifying sources and increasing the share of low-carbon renewable energy.
“This operation demonstrates again the EIB’s key role in supporting energy security and the green transition in Italy. This loan to Snam will help reduce dependence on imported fossil fuels and promote national and European strategic autonomy, in line with the objectives of REPowerEU and the NRRP”, said EIB Vice-President Gelsomina Vigliotti.
“Biomethane is a strategic resource alongside natural gas in the energy integration process, aimed at ensuring current and future security of supply while, at the same time, using local production and fully integrating into the existing network. With this loan we are taking a further step towards strengthening a flexible and efficient gas transmission infrastructure system that can support the growing diversification of sources and contribute to the competitiveness of the system”, said Snam CEO Agostino Scornajenchi.
Background information
The European Investment Bank (ElB) is the long-term lending institution of the European Union, owned by its Member States. It finances investments that contribute to EU policy objectives. EIB projects bolster competitiveness, drive innovation, promote sustainable development, enhance social and territorial cohesion, and support a just and swift transition to climate neutrality. In the last five years, the EIB Group has provided more than €58 billion in financing for projects in Italy. All projects financed by the EIB Group are in line with the Paris Climate Agreement. The EIB Group does not fund investments in fossil fuels. We are on track to deliver on our commitment to support €1 trillion in climate and environmental sustainability investment in the decade to 2030 as pledged in our Climate Bank Roadmap. Over half of the EIB Group’s annual financing supports projects directly contributing to climate change mitigation and adaptation, and a healthier environment. Approximately half of the EIB’s financing within the European Union is directed towards cohesion regions, where per capita income is lower.
Snam is a leading European operator in gas infrastructure, focusing on transportation, network exceeding 40,000 km across Italy and abroad; in storage, holding one-sixth of the European Union's entire storage capacity; and in regasification, where it currently ranks as the third largest European player, managing (or co-managing) an annual capacity of 28 billion cubic meters.. Snam is among the top listed Italian companies by market capitalisation and is committed to continuous growth in sustainable finance. In this context, Snam reaffirms its commitment to achieve carbon neutrality (100%) by 2040 and Net Zero for all emissions, including those of associated companies and suppliers, by 2050.