Italian gas distributor Italgas, in partnership with Edison Energia and agri-food group Granarolo, has announced the rollout of an unprecedented project in Italy aimed at supplying a Sardinian dairy plant with a natural gas blend enriched with up to 20% green hydrogen. Scheduled to begin in September 2025, the project marks the country’s first industrial-scale application of hydrogen-blended fuel.
A project backed by advanced digital infrastructure
The site involved, the Casearia Podda plant located in Sestu, will be supplied through a digital network operated by Medea, a subsidiary of Italgas. The blended fuel will come from a Power to Gas facility currently nearing completion, which will convert photovoltaic energy into hydrogen via water electrolysis. The plant is expected to be operational by late summer 2025.
The system also relies on Nimbus smart meters, designed to be compatible with hydrogen-methane mixtures. According to the partners, this capability places the region’s infrastructure among the most advanced in Europe.
Equipment modernisation and performance contract
Granarolo will also benefit from an upgrade of its thermal systems through Geoside, Italgas’s energy services subsidiary. Obsolete fuel-oil boilers will be replaced with generators capable of using a blend with up to 30% hydrogen content. This modernisation is carried out under an energy performance contract, ensuring improved efficiency and site safety.
Supply will be managed by Gaxa, the island’s main energy provider and a subsidiary of Edison Energia. The company will play a central role in delivering this innovative blend continuously to the production facility.
Industrial and regional reach
According to Pier Lorenzo Dell’Orco, Chief Executive Officer of Italgas Reti, the initiative strengthens Sardinia’s strategic position within the group’s industrial roadmap. He stated: “By distributing blends containing up to 20% hydrogen, we are achieving an unprecedented result for a production activity.”
Emanuela Gatteschi, Chief Executive Officer of Gaxa, added that this initiative represents “a significant step forward in offering innovative energy solutions to local businesses, aligned with Edison Energia’s strategy.”
Gianpiero Calzolari, President of Granarolo, said the collaboration balances economic performance with emission reductions while exploring new hydrogen use cases on a regional scale.
