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2009 | Gas Natural obtains environmental approval for its regasification terminal project in Trieste, Italy
Approval of the Environmental Impact Assessment (VIA) is the final stage in the process of obtaining authorisation from the national government, and the final planning stages are in the hands of regional authorities.
The construction of the LNG terminal will not only help to clean up the Trieste port area but will contribute to the economic development of the region in general, and the city of Trieste in particular.
From the perspective of the Italian energy industry, it will boost both the diversification and security of supplies in the country.
The Italian Ministry of the Environment has approved the Environmental Impact Assessment (VIA) for the liquid natural gas regasification plant planned by the company in the port of Trieste-Zaule, in the Friuli Venezia Giulia region, in the north east of the country.
The Italian government officially notified the company today of the authorisation, given by the Italian Ministry of the Environment (MATT) and the Ministry of Cultural Heritage and Activities (MiBac).
This approval is the final stage in the process of obtaining authorisation from the national government, and represents an important milestone in GAS NATURAL's strategy of becoming a truly integrated energy operator in Italy, demonstrating the company's firm commitment to the future of energy in the country.
GAS NATURAL began developing this project in 2004 and the approval of the Environmental Impact Assessment (VIA) comes after obtaining positive rulings from the Ministry of the Environment (20 June 2008) and, more recently, from the Ministry of Cultural Heritage and Activities.
Having obtained this approval, the planning process is now in the hands of the regional authorities for Friuli Venezia Giulia, who will give final approval to the project.
A project with many benefits
The Trieste regasification terminal is an on-shore project located in the town's port and will contain two 140,000 cubic metre tanks with a planned regasification capacity of 8 bcm/year.
Trieste is situated in the north east of Italy, close to the country's main areas of industrial consumption and with good connections to the national gas pipeline network. The company reached an agreement in August 2007 with the Italian gas transport operator, Snam Rete Gas, to connect the terminal to the national pipeline network.
Once final authorisation has been obtained, the facility is expected to take 40 months to construct and put into operation.
The construction phase is expected to create 300 new jobs (up to 800 at peak times) and, once the facility is in operation, it will generate over 70 direct jobs and indirect employment for a further 320 people.
The Trieste-Zaule regasification project has excellent environmental and safety features, and will contribute significantly to decontaminating the port area.
Leaders in the LNG sector
GAS NATURAL is a major energy sector multinational, one the world's leading liquid natural gas (LNG) operators and the largest supplier of LNG and natural gas in the Atlantic basin and the Mediterranean.
The Group's natural gas and LNG portfolio currently stands at 30 bcm, with capacity to begin supplying the Italian market.
GAS NATURAL is an operator with proven experience in the development, construction and operation of regasification infrastructures, with 5 regasification plants in attractive markets (3 in operation, 2 in the project phase), 2 liquefaction plants, 3 integrated projects under development and a fleet of 13 methane carriers.
Commitment in Italy
GAS NATURAL, the only Spanish company developing this type of project in Italy, has been operating in the country since 2002, when it set up the Gas Natural Vendita gas sales company.
In recent years the Group has carried out major expansion activities in its gas distribution business, consolidating its already strong position. It has over 400,000 customers in 187 municipalities across 7 regions of Central and Southern Italy (Abruzzo, Puglia, Calabria, Sicily, Basilicata, Campania and Lazio).
From the perspective of the Italian energy industry, it will help to diversify the sources of gas supplies in the country and so improve security of supply.
Source : Communiqué GAS NATURAL
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