Techfem and AES Fano Join Forces for CH₄ Emission Recovery

Techfem and AES Fano Join Forces for the Environment and the Local Territory: A Local Partnership for Methane (CH₄) Emission Recovery

Advanced gas network maintenance works along Viale Kennedy

AES Fano Distribuzione Gas S.r.l., a company jointly owned by ASET S.p.A. and E.S.TR.A. S.p.A., has carried out a strategic intervention on the city’s gas distribution network with the technical support of Techfem S.p.A., an engineering firm and leader in the energy sector. The operation involved the decommissioning and replacement of a cast-iron pipeline section buried along Viale Kennedy. At the same time, an innovative solution was implemented to prevent the release of unburned methane (CH₄) into the atmosphere.

Recovery of CH₄ emissions: a concrete action against climate-altering gases

During the gas removal and recovery operations, Techfem employed a cutting-edge process, developed and patented in-house, designed specifically to capture residual methane, thereby avoiding atmospheric release and its corresponding impact in terms of CO₂ equivalent. This operational methodology enables maintenance activities on the distribution network while recovering unburned gas, significantly reducing greenhouse gas emissions in full compliance with European environmental policies and EU Regulation 2024/1787, which will mandate “zero emissions” starting in 2026.

Following the installation of the new pipeline by AES, Techfem carried out a high-vacuum depressurization of the new line prior to commissioning (Gas-In), ensuring the complete absence of CH₄ emissions even during this delicate phase.

Technical innovation for sustainability

Since 2020, Techfem has been developing a Research and Development program aimed at perfecting a system for the total recovery of unburned methane. This system uses nitrogen as a propellant gas to safely transfer methane to adjacent pipeline sections. The outcome is multiple: zero emissions and a fully inert pipeline, ready for maintenance operations.

A strategic move toward European climate goals

Through this initiative, AES Fano Distribuzione demonstrates a tangible commitment to climate neutrality by 2050, promoting technologies that enhance environmental and resource sustainability. Techfem’s involvement in managing CH₄ emissions during maintenance activities represents a virtuous and replicable model, contributing to the achievement of the European Union’s sustainability targets.