Description
The construction works for the methane distribution network in the Oristano Industrial Area are nearing completion.
On 13, 14 and 15 October 2025, functional tests were carried out on the RE.MI. interconnection station between the HIGAS coastal LNG storage facility and the new methane distribution network serving the Oristano Industrial Area.
The activities, preceded by a coordination meeting involving the technical representatives of the Oristano Provincial Industrial Consortium (CIPOR), HIGAS and the contracting companies, made it possible to verify the correct operation of the regulation and metering systems — a fundamental step towards the full commissioning of the network.
In the coming days, the pipeline will be purged—currently pressurised with air—in preparation for gas injection, which will allow final testing and the subsequent commissioning of the infrastructure, scheduled for November.
The new consortium gas distribution network, financed with €3,500,000 by the Autonomous Region of Sardinia – Department of Industry, represents a strategic investment for the territory.
The project consists of approximately 17.5 kilometres of medium-pressure pipelines (4th category), with the possibility of connection for all companies operating in the industrial cluster. The network will also supply the urban network of Oristano through the interconnection point already built by MEDEA.
The system has been designed to ensure maximum supply flexibility, as it can be fed both by the HIGAS coastal LNG facility, already operational at the Oristano Industrial Port, and in the future by the Sardinia gas backbone (SNAM network) planned under the DPCM for the “Gasification of Sardinia.”
Network management provides that CIPOR will oversee the technical aspects of distribution and metering, while allowing access on a non-exclusive basis to qualified operators authorised to supply gas to the companies operating in the area.
Construction works began in 2024 and experienced delays due to lengthy supply times for measurement and control equipment.
“With the completion of the gas network and the imminent availability of methane, the Oristano Industrial Area is taking a decisive step forward in strengthening its energy infrastructure and improving environmental sustainability.
This achievement,” underlined the President of CIPOR, Gianluigi Carta, “is the result of forward-looking planning and cooperation between public bodies and private operators who have shared the common objective of enhancing the competitiveness of the territory.
The network, entirely funded through regional resources, will allow companies to benefit from reduced distribution tariffs and access to a cleaner and more cost-effective energy source, creating new opportunities for development and for attracting productive investment in the area.”
The CIPOR methane distribution network will be the first infrastructure of this kind built in an industrial area in Sardinia, marking the start of a new energy model based on efficiency, sustainability, and the competitiveness of local businesses.