Kanadevia Inova to build state-of-the-art waste-to-energy plant in Rome

Kanadevia Inova will act as the lead Engineering, Procurement, and Construction (EPC) contractor for the new WtE facility for the Municipality of Rome.

In addition to its role as the EPC contractor, Kanadevia Inova holds a minority stake in the project company and, once the plant is operational, it will be responsible for its maintenance under a thirty-year concession.

The new WtE facility is located in Santa Palomba, some 25 km southwest of the capital.

Part of a Parco delle Risorse Circolari

Following a detailed procurement process and for the first time in Rome’s long history, the new WtE facility will treat waste as a valuable resource, helping to decarbonise Italy’s energy generation mix and reducing the practice of landfilling – widely regarded as the least sustainable waste treatment option.

The plant complex will also host the “Parco delle Risorse Circolari” (Park of Circular Resources), an area equipped with research rooms, co-working spaces, an experimental greenhouse, green areas, and a panoramic tower over 70 metres high.

Kanadevia Inova is delighted to have been selected as the lead EPC contractor to build this much-needed and highly efficient waste-to-energy facility. Together with our project partners Acea, Suez, Vianini Lavori, and RMB, we will bring our proven track record of technical excellence to design, build, and operate the most advanced WtE facility in Italy, said Fabio Dinale, EVP of Business Development at Kanadevia Inova.

Advanced WtE with built-in carbon capture

This will be one of the most advanced WtE plants in the world, converting waste into energy and many other reusable products.

The new plant will use Kanadevia Inova’s leading WtE technology to maximise electricity generation. The facility will also include a metal recovery and ash collection unit for onward reuse in other industries, as well as a carbon dioxide (CO₂) capture and liquefaction plant.

This new plant has been specifically designed to meet the needs of the city of Rome. The two-line facility will treat 600,000 tonnes of municipal solid waste per year and generate around 65 MW of electricity, enough to meet the needs of around 200,000 households.

The Flue Gas Treatment (FGT) system consists of a semi-dry unit, a wet scrubber, and, finally, a Selective Catalytic Reduction system for nitrogen oxide (NOx) reduction.

With this FGT configuration, the facility will achieve the lowest emission limits set by European directives and utilise Best Available Techniques (BAT).

To minimise the impacts on the local water supply, the FGT system is designed to condense some of the water contained in the flue gases and reuse it for the internal needs of the plant.

Construction now underway

Construction work began on May 14, 2026, and the first waste delivery is scheduled for autumn 2029.

Once commercial operations begin, this facility will recover resources for alternative uses and create much-needed circular economies.

This WtE plant will also include ancillary circular economy facilities, such as a bottom ash treatment plant and the use of steam in a district heating system.

From autumn 2029, this plant will deliver reliable baseload energy to power homes and businesses. Importantly, the facility will help the city of Rome to meet its environmental targets, supporting valuable local circular economies and enabling the city to reach its ambitious landfill diversion goals. The new facility will be a cutting-edge plant with the lowest emissions ever recorded for a plant of this type, combining resource recovery technologies with outstanding architecture that connects the functionality of the plant with the local environment in a sustainable way, concluded Fabio Dinale.