Energy savings

Ecogena is the organisation registered to develop energy-efficiency initiatives for the Group Companies and report their results to the Gestore dei Servizi Energetici (GSE) for the awarding of Energy Efficiency Certificates (EECs). From their activation to 31 December 2022, the cogeneration plants managed by Ecogena received a total of 9,335 EECs under the Ministerial Decree of 5 September 2011, of which 355 were in 2022. Furthermore, the energy efficiency initiatives implemented by the Acea Group, reported by Ecogena and validated by the GSE, received a total of 19,014 EECs, of which 6,769 were received in 2022.
Areti, in its capacity as a distribution company, is required to reach a quantitative annual primary energy saving target defined by the authorities in terms of EECs. In this regard, in 2022 the Company cancelled 58,895 EECs, of which 9,948 were related to the 2021 quota and the remaining 48,947 to the 2019 quota.

ENERGY EFFICIENCY ACTIONS

In 2022, Acea implemented measures to improve energy efficiency, aimed particularly at companies operating in the industrial water and environmental sectors, and the company Areti.
Considering the photovoltaic systems at the plants of Acea Ato 2, AdF, Deco, Orvieto and Terni, total energy consumption (on-site self-consumption) was approximately 2,600 MWh, with a consequent 830 tonnes of CO₂ emissions avoided. In the water sector, the Company implemented the following energy efficiency measures in 2022.
Acea Ato 2 achieved a total saving of 7.6 TJ (2.1 GWh). The most significant efficiency gains, amounting to 6.5 TJ (1.8 GWh), concerned several water centres, while for the water treatment sector, specific optimisation work was carried out at two treatment plants, with an efficiency gain of approximately 0.8 TJ (0.23 GWh).
Additionally, further savings related to reduced water losses. For Acea Ato 5 increases in eciency, corresponding to 2.9 TJ (0.8 GWh), are attributable to replacing the pumps used for withdrawal at springs and well fields, installing inverters, and revamping a treatment plant.
Gori implemented actions to increase efficiency for a savings of 30.4 TJ (8.5 GWh), primarily through the use of more efficient water sources, new water plant management structures, the use of higher-efficiency electric pumps, and measures to improve the efficiency of treatment plants. AdF increased efficiency for a savings of 4.7 TJ (1.3 GWh) through the replacement of older pumps on the aqueduct network, district planning, management of pressure levels and leak detection. Gesesa has achieved a savings by improving the efficiency of 0.9 TJ (0.3 GWh) resulting from actions to manage pressure in the context of the current district planning process. Overall, the above actions have enabled the Water segment to avoid approximately 1,700 t of CO₂.
In the Environment sector, actions to improve energy efficiency in 2022 included the works at the San Vittore del Lazio plant to optimise combustion on Line 1, which led to annual efficiency gains of approximately 3.1 TJ (869 MWh of electricity) and 28.5 TJ (715 kSm³ of natural gas). At the Aprilia composting site, efficiency gains were 3.8 TJ (1.0 GWh of electricity) and 5.3 TJ (208 kNm³ of biogas) thanks to the optimisation of the anaerobic digester and the improved eciency of managing plant downtime, which improved biogas productivity. At the Monterotondo Marittimo site, the replacement of halogen lights with LED bulbs and other process improvements provided efficiency gains of 0.9 TJ (254 MWh). Other minor works included plant optimisation measures with the installation of inverters at a Berg plant (18 MWh/year) and the replacement of conventional lights with LED bulbs at Demap (for 3 MWh/year). In total, CO₂ avoided at sites in the Environment sector, including two waste-to-energy plants, amounted to approximately 2,406 t.
In the Networks segment, the company Areti continued in 2022 with works to increase efficiency on the electricity distribution network managed, including:

• the replacement of 173 MV/LV transformers with super-low loss equivalents, which allowed a reduction in electricity consumption of 276 MWh;
• other actions on the HV/MV/LV distribution network aimed at optimising the structure of the MV network and upgrading of HV and LV lines, currently estimated at a total of 744 MWh saved (including use of transformers).

Table no. 64 shows the types of actions and relative energy savings for Areti, for the last three years. In 2022, the total energy saving was 2.7 TJ (0.7 GWh) and approximately 230 tonnes of CO₂ emissions were avoided²⁰⁶.

Table no. 64 – Energy efficiency in Areti (2020-2022)

(*) consolidated figure.
(**) estimated figure.

Consumption for public lighting in 2022 was 242 TJ (67 GWh), in line with 2021 consumption. The ratio of LED lamps to total lamps was 92%.
In 2022, the company’s operating personnel used a total of 87 electric vehicles (25 via car sharing, and 62 vehicles individually assigned to operating personnel on a 24/7 basis).
According to monitoring by Areti, total journeys amounted to approximately 260,000 km, consumption was around 42 MWh and a net saving of approximately 26,200 kg of CO₂ was achieved thanks to the avoidance of diesel-powered vehicles.

206 Calculations for estimation of CO₂ emissions avoided in the entire section Relations with the environment have been carried out using the 2021 Terna location-based conversion factor, equal to 0.315 tonnes of CO₂/MWh. In the Sustainability Plan reporting, the same estimate is made using the 2019 conversion factor, in line with the calculation for definition of the 2024 target.