Waste from distribution of electricity

Areti manages the distribution of electricity and primarily produces waste derived from maintenance or replacement of infrastructure. No non-process waste is generally produced. Special waste, produced during activity performed by contractors, is considered under the responsibility of the same and its collection and management is also their responsibility²¹⁹. The waste flow generated by Areti’s business are illustrated in Chart no. 60.

Chart no. 60 – Waste streams in Areti

Table no. 73 – Waste produced by the Areti Company (2020-2022)

MANAGEMENT AND MINIMISATION OF WASTE PRODUCED

The circular economy concept drives the shared goal pursued by all Group companies, who together contribute to the effort to reduce waste.
For example, the water companies aim to reduce the volume of sludge produced by implementing new drying lines, latest-generation centrifuges and other specific systems. These initiatives have a major impact in terms of the circular economy: reducing the water content of the sludge optimises opportunities to use it in material and/or energy processes and reduces disposal costs. The economic, environmental and social costs of transporting sludge are also lessened.
At AdF, in 2022, a thermochemical hydrolysis system was used at the San Giovanni treatment plant in Grosseto, with the aim of treating the dewatered sludge produced in the other plants as well as the sludge produced at the plant itself, reducing the total amount of sludge produced; in 2022, the company achieved a 21% reduction in the total volume of sludge produced compared to the previous year.
For several years, Acea Ato 2 has defined and implemented the Sludge Management Plan, a series of structural and strategic actions with the dual objective of reducing volumes of treatment sludge produced and exploiting the solid components both as a material and for energy, through a range of different actions, rationalising the entire treatment segment and transforming large treatment plants into hubs for centralised sludge processing (a number of small treatment plants were decommissioned in the year as part of the centralisation measures). In 2022 Acea Ato 2 achieved a 5% reduction in the volume of sludge produced. It is hoped that, by 2024, the largest plants (Roma Est, Roma Nord, Roma Sud, Ostia and Co.Bis) will be able to dry the sludge produced directly.

Waste from the majority of Group Companies is sent to external sites²²⁰. Finally, for all Companies, waste is managed by companies outside the Group, with the exception of Acea Ato 2, Acea Ato 5 and AdF, which, as mentioned, handover their waste to Aquaser, in the role of broker with identification of final-destination sites²²¹. The reliability of brokers is guaranteed by the mandatory authorisation required by the specific regulations for performance of activities and by periodic checks on documentation.
The data and information on waste for the main Companies is managed with dedicated management software²²². Quantitative data on waste disposed of derives from direct measurements taken using weighing systems, which are periodically calibrated and certified. For the Companies of the Environment Segment, in almost all cases there is a difference between the outgoing weights and incoming weights, due to the scales used for approximation in the systems adopted, in any case documented using the forms applicable by law. In addition, for these Companies and for Acea Produzione, which are equipped with plants mainly certified in accordance with standard UNI EN ISO 14001, systematic checks are carried out on legislative compliance of compliance in terms of environmental factors.
In 2022, there were no significant releases of pollutants into the environment, such as mineral oils, fuels or chemical products²²³.

219 This management occurs according to procedure (PRO00.11QAS “Waste Management”) and the quantities produced are handed over for recovery or disposed of by authorised third parties.
220 The Orvieto plants and the Deco sites, which are plant hubs with internal waste streams and destinations, are exceptions.
221 Liquid waste from the plants of Acea Ato 2 are assigned to Aquaser solely for logistical services, being transported and discharged at plants authorised pursuant to art. 110 of Italian Legislative Decree 152/2006 managed by Acea Ato 2 itself.
222 With the exception of Gesesa and Areti, all companies have dedicated management software.
223 In 2022, there were two minor leaks of mineral oil into the environment at a substation due to theft. No leaks of other pollutants such as fuels or chemicals were recorded.