Italy to agree to a new LNG terminal by next week

A state-appointed commissioner said he would give the go-ahead for Italy’s new liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal in the Tuscan port of Piombino at the start of next week, in time for it to start delivering gas in the spring.

The LNG infrastructure is part of Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi’s outgoing government’s plan to substitute dwindling Russian gas supplies, which accounted for provided 38% of Italy’s needs in 2021.

Under Rome’s new rules, gas grid operator Snam in June 2022, bought new floating storage and regasification unit (FRSU), pledging to have it operational by end-March 2022.

The 5 billion cubic meter capacity (bcm) project has come across stiff opposition from environmental and local grassroots associations, led by Piombino mayor Francesco Ferrari.

Ferrari is worried about potential negative impacts on the health and environmental risks for the population while other critics say the big-scale project will likely keep Italy relying on gas for longer, reducing its transition to renewable energy.

The new terminal will help refill the country’s storage system that will run almost empty by the end of this winter and shore up Italy’s energy security, Italian energy firm Eni’s CEO Claudio Descalzi said earlier this month.