Closure of the waste cycle
Virtuously managing the waste cycle from a circular perspective means upgrading facilities for waste treatment and material recovery, and using them for the production of energy and heat.
One of the principles on which our business model is based, and within the scope of the circular economy, is that waste does not exist, only value – a crucial aspect for the future of communities, of the environment and of the areas we serve, where we recover material that has already become waste and we give it new life, turning it into new material and energy for the community. This is possible by reducing the use of landfills, reducing waste and limiting emissions of CO2 into the atmosphere.
We at A2A are leaders in Italy in the sector of environmental services and in material and energy recovery activities. Our objectives are in line with those set by the European Union: we are developing circular economy systems in a logic of sustainability and are applying the best possible technologies so as to safeguard our Planet, limiting the use of primary resources.
We are frontrunners in the entire waste management value chain, all the way to the transformation of waste into new material ready to be returned to the cycles of production and consumption. We manage 5.2 million tonnes of waste, serving four million inhabitants. Of two million tonnes collected, about 70% are destined to material recovery and 30% to energy recovery.
Furthermore, we believe strongly that synergy between industry and research is crucial in fostering the development and innovation of our assets. For this reason, we directly manage activities of engineering and of research and development, and we work closely with associations, research centres and universities.
Our plant assets include:
In a virtuous circular economy system, waste-to-energy (WtE) facilities have a function of vital importance because they replace landfills; they recover electrical and heat energy from waste that cannot usefully be recycled as materials, thus allowing the saving of energy resources and, compared with traditional landfills, enabling a reduction in CO2 emissions of about 50%.
To meet the targets of global decarbonization in final consumption by 2030, we set ourselves even more challenging objectives for the recovery of energy from general and agro-industrial waste.
To put into practice the objectives that we set ourselves in the 2021-2030 Business Plan, our commitment is focussed on strategic action that allows us to counter climate change.
We want to direct our investments towards those activities that close the waste cycle, those that exploit heat loss for the benefit of district heating, those that accelerate material and energy recovery through the building of new facilities and the upgrading of existing ones, and we want to invest in innovative technological development.
For many years now, we have been carrying forward substantial investment plans. However, to achieve Net Zero, our Plan also foresees new investments that will enable us to contribute to the reduction of the carbon footprint left by the mobility sector which, in Italy, generates about 30% of CO2 emissions. In order to reduce emissions deriving from the transport of goods and people, we are going to produce green hydrogen and BIO-LNG.
Waste managed (t)
Electricity produced through waste valorization (including biogas), natural gas boilers
Thermal energy produced through waste valorization (including biogas), natural gas boilers
Virtuously managing the waste cycle from a circular perspective means upgrading facilities for waste treatment and material recovery, and using them for the production of energy and heat.
We are renewing our commitment to eliminate the wastage of resources, promoting the recovery of dispersed heat to the benefit of district heating.
Realizzeremo nuovi impianti per il recupero di materia, per un totale di 2,2 milioni di tonnellate di CO₂ risparmiate entro il 2030. Un aumento di ben 1,2 milioni rispetto ad oggi.
Stiamo implementando soluzioni green dedicate al settore della mobilità sostenibile, quali l’uso di idrogeno verde e biometano, una soluzione green prodotta per ridurre drasticamente le emissioni dei mezzi pesanti.
Useful resources
Services
A2A S.p.A. - P.I. 11957540153