On Wednesday, July 9, our Executive Chairman and CTO of Entsorga Eng. Pier Paolo Cella Mazzariol spoke at the Local Autorithy lunch, the traditional luncheon hosted as part of the World Biogas Summit and Expo – one of the leading international events dedicated to the anaerobic digestion (AD), biogas and biomethane sector – which brings together global leaders and experts to facilitate their meeting and exchange of views on the issues of energy transition and renewable energy. Around the table were local councilors, anaerobic digestion plant operators, waste management companies, investors and law firms, who debated the most current policies to combat food waste, implement AD technology and explore successful models of public-private collaboration, aligning local actions and international goals.
This is the full speech of our President, who brought to the attention of the important parterre the experience of Entsorga in the field of Anaerobic Digestion technology, also emphasizing in general the fundamental role of Italy in environmental management and renewable energy production.
In fact, over the years our country has become a virtuous reference, building-thanks to the separate collection of kitchen scraps started 25 years ago-an industrial sector that has become a worldwide excellence.
Good morning, everyone.
It is a real pleasure to be here with you today. Thank you for the warm welcome and the opportunity to talk to people who are clearly as committed as we are to building a better future.
Let’s be honest: the current global picture is quite troubling. We live in a time when extreme weather events are becoming increasingly common, and regardless of geographic location, the effects of climate change are no longer distant threats, but are right here at our fingertips.
At the same time, we are seeing an increase in divisive rhetoric around the world. Too often we hear voices that downplay the urgency of climate action, or promote the idea that strength matters more than cooperation, or that short-term interests should trump long-term responsibility.
But we do not share this view. We at Entsorga believe in a different future: more equitable, greener and truly sustainable. And we believe that future will only happen if we invest in the technologies that can make it real.
In fact, over the years our country has become a virtuous reference, building-thanks to the separate collection of kitchen scraps started 25 years ago-an industrial sector that has become a worldwide excellence.
If we are serious about tackling climate change while sustaining economic growth and social welfare, clean and renewable energy is the only way forward. But it is not about clean energy for the few, it is about affordable, local solutions that are available on a large scale to meet the demand of a growing population.
But the truth is that we have made real progress. Over the past decade, the cost of renewable energy has fallen dramatically. Advances in bioenergy, particularly biomethane, have proven to be a key component of our success over the past decade. It is a solution that simultaneously addresses two major challenges: reducing greenhouse gas emissions and turning food and organic waste into a valuable resource.
Today’s bioenergy plants are no longer limited to waste treatment, but are advanced biorefineries. They can produce renewable natural gas, high-purity carbon dioxide for the food and beverage industry, and remove significant volumes of CO₂ from the atmosphere.
I am an engineer by training and have spent my career working on how to turn waste into valuable renewable energy and related biproducts. This is what I have dedicated myself to achieving.
We at Entsorga are proud to be leading this initiative. For nearly 30 years we have built a solid reputation as world-class technology innovators, developed in-house and based on our extensive operational experience in real-world conditions.
But we have become much more than just a technology provider, expanding our operational presence across multiple continents. We design and build plants, operate and maintain them, and often invest in them ourselves.
As many of you may know, Italy has faced its share of political ups and downs, yet from 2018 to 2024, about 1.4 billion cubic meters of biomethane was produced, with much accelerated growth in the last 2-3 years alone.
By 2024, about 570 million cubic meters of renewable gas have been produced, contributing to the energy transition and generating thousands of jobs. But the real leap will come in the next few years: the national target is to reach 5 Gm³/year by 2030-or “Boomethane,” as we like to call it, which is remarkable for a country of our size.
Reaching this target would mean meeting about 8 percent of domestic gas demand, an ambitious but strategic goal: It is equivalent to about half the volume of gas that Italy imported annually from Russia before the energy crisis.
This progress has been possible thanks to stable, cross-party political support, a well-designed subsidy system, and a shared belief that bioenergy is a win-win solution for our country and its citizens.
Over the years, we have had the pleasure of building and operating MBT plants here in the UK, and we are really fond of the collaboration we have experienced with our British partners-authorities, investors, local stakeholders-which has always been constructive and forward-looking.
As Britain continues to move forward in its energy transition, Entsorga stands ready to build on these relationships, bringing our expertise, our technology and, perhaps most importantly, our deep and unwavering commitment to the climate cause.
