Pegasus project

Since mid-2018, SGI has started an important research collaboration with the National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development (ENEA), formalised in March 2019 through a cooperation agreement. This partnership gave rise to the Pegasus project, which aims to demonstrate the industrial-scale operation of the power-to-gas system, one of the technologies that can contribute most to the increase in green energy produced 100% from non-programmable renewable sources, for a progressive decarbonisation of the energy system.

The primary purpose is to produce 100% renewable methane (CH4) on an industrial scale through an integrated system for the conversion of H2O into H2 through electrolysis powered by sustainable energy, and CO2 adduction from biomethane upgrading processes, with subsequent methanisation and injection into the transmission network with access to all the services of the gas system, i.e. export, storage, distribution and liquefaction.

The objectives

Pegasus is aimed at:

• Validating the integrated management of the technologies now available (fermentation for biogas, electrolysis, methanisation) and verifying management issues on a large scale;
• Defining the best cost level of green gas – with existing technologies – and indirectly setting a cost for the seasonal accumulation of non-programmable renewables;
• Identifying the areas of research and technological development functional to the construction of the next generation of PtG plants (GigaWatt scale) that aspires to guarantee the national energy supply.

Development

The Pegasus project aims to create and put into service a CO2 recovery unit and a methanisation unit for the production of synthetic methane.

It is planned to carry out the intervention at the waste treatment plant in Guglionesi (CB) owned by Foglia Umberto S.r.l., where it will be possible to use:

• a 1 MW (approx.) electrolyser powered by a 2 MW photovoltaic plant and a cogenerator powered by the biogas produced in landfill;. 
• CO2-rich biogas that will be sent to the carbon dioxide recovery unit.

The hydrogen produced will be 100% green hydrogen. The electrolysis unit applied for a funding call issued by the Molise Region for the allocation of funds from the NRRP Mission 2 “Green Revolution and Ecological Transition”, Component 2 “Renewable energy, hydrogen, network and sustainable mobility”, Investment 3.1 “Production in abandoned industrial areas”, financed by the European Union – Next Generation EU, and was awarded the funds (100% of the contribution requested). 

The planned power-to-gas (PtG) process is a promising solution for converting renewable electricity into a chemical energy carrier. The possibility of using hydrogen as a raw material for the production of synthetic natural gas is very advantageous, as the renewable gas produced will have similar characteristics to natural gas and will not require adaptation of the transmission infrastructure. 

The synthetic methane produced can be injected into the SGI network, which is close to the production site.