UK-headed CycleØ Ltd, a European developer, owner, and operator of biogas plants, has announced the construction of a new biomethane plant in Italy. The plant is 100 percent financed by the company and will be owned and operated by CycleØ, generating renewable natural gas for injection into the Italian gas grid.
The biogas plant is the first asset to be built, owned, and operated by CycleØ in Italy, and is located in Pontinia in the Lazio region to the south of Rome.
It will use feedstocks sourced from farms within a 15 km radius of its location to produce biogas, which will then be upgraded to biomethane, aka renewable natural gas (RNG), using proprietary CycleØ technology.
Operational in 2026
Contracts are already in place with local farmers to offtake livestock manure for the feedstock required, primarily dairy and buffalo manure, although CycleØ remains interested in signing further feedstock agreements with farmers to keep the plant operating at an optimal level.
Plans for the plant have been presented to both the Municipal Council and the Mayor Eligio Tombolillo of Pontinia, who have expressed their support for the project.
Plant construction activities are now underway, generating ongoing local employment and business opportunities, with completion due by summer 2026.
On an annual basis, the plant will produce around 4 million Nm3 of RNG, circa 45 GWh, which will be injected directly into the SNAM gas grid through a new local direct pipeline access, planned as part of the plant’s construction.
This plant will produce certified renewable energy in accordance with EU standards, delivering enough RNG annually to meet the needs of around 3,000 Italian homes.
We are delighted to announce this first step for CycleØ in Italy, an interesting market with great potential for the successful production of biogas for upgrading to biomethane. We are already recruiting local personnel and working with local businesses to build the plant. Our experience in building, owning, and operating our own plants along with a grid injection point in Spain equips us to quickly bring benefits both to the local community and to support Italian efforts to switch to renewable energy, said Jaume Suriol, Operations Director for CycleØ.
Aligned with national RNG targets
This new production capacity created by CycleØ builds on the country’s renewable energy assets, which currently deliver 20.6 percent of annual energy needs.
Italy intends to generate 39.4 percent of energy from renewable sources by 2030, including 6 billion cubic metres (bcm) of RNG, making this new asset an important step further to meeting this target.
In addition to producing clean energy, the construction of the plant will benefit the local community by helping to address the management of nitrates from livestock waste, supporting the reduction of emissions from agricultural activities.
The digestate, a nutrient-rich by-product of the anaerobic digestion (AD) process, will be returned to farmers to provide organic fertilizer for crops in line with the principles of a circular economy.
The plant meets all the sustainability criteria needed to qualify for the Gestore dei Servizi Energetici (GSE) tariff and qualified for the recent 5th GSE auction.
It will use cogeneration to meet its own heat and power needs and will source the water required for the AD process using a minimal amount of the abundant water present in the subsoil near the plant.
Developing European biomethane production
According to CycleØ, this latest announcement further strengthens the role of the company as a leader in European biomethane production, adding to its existing portfolio of three operational biomethane plants and a private gas grid injection point in Spain.
This is the first of several plants that CycleØ intends to build, own, and operate in Italy, where it is currently working on an active pipeline of potential M&A or greenfield plant opportunities.
This Italian investment strategy recognises the favourable conditions in place in the country for the construction of biogas plants.
As the only developer, owner, and operator of biogas plants in the Lazio region, we are pleased to confirm our investment and to bring our experience to support Italian gas decarbonisation. We will continue to be active in Italy and plan to build and acquire more biomethane plants with investments of around €70 million to €100 million over the next few years. This is in addition to the €300 million investment plans we have already announced in Ireland and Spain, commented Laurence Molke, CEO at CycleØ.
