Italy’s Feralpi Group is stepping up its decarbonization efforts with the signing of the first local agreement for the supply of biomethane to the steel industry. The group announced this in a press release issued today, March 30, stating that the contract, signed by Acciaierie di Calvisano with AB Ambiente, the agricultural company of Gruppo AB, is being presented as a pilot case for the manufacturing industry and, in particular, for energy-intensive sectors.
The agreement was developed in the Brescia district with the support of Confindustria Brescia and the Italian Biogas Consortium, and aims to gradually increase the use of biomethane as an alternative to fossil fuels, alongside the electrification path already underway in the group’s industrial processes.
According to Feralpi, biomethane can make an immediate contribution to reducing CO2 emissions in sectors that are more difficult to decarbonize, although limitations remain due to the regulatory framework and current production capacity. At present, the indicated supply shares range between 10 percent and 20 percent of total demand. The initiative also aims to enhance the local energy supply chain through the gradual conversion of biogas plants in the area into sites capable of injecting biomethane into the grid. In a context marked by geopolitical instability and volatile energy markets, the project is also being presented as a contribution to strengthening energy autonomy.
Giovanni Pasini, chief executive officer of Feralpi Group, said, “It is one more piece within an energy transition strategy based on several levers.” According to Pasini, the agreement could become a first positive case for the sector.
AB also highlighted the strategic value of the deal. Its president, Angelo Baronchelli, described the agreement as “a first concrete step in the decarbonization path of a strategic and highly energy-intensive sector such as steelmaking.”
