Description
The recent publication in the media of the draft DPCM concerning the “Identification of works and infrastructure necessary for the phase-out of coal use in Sardinia and the decarbonisation of the island’s industrial sectors” suggests that decisions regarding the gasification of Sardinia will soon be finalised. It further indicates that the area of the Oristano Provincial Industrial Consortium will be the most significantly and heavily affected by this intervention. The project envisages the installation of an FSRU (a permanently moored vessel at the quay for the storage and regasification of liquefied natural gas – LNG) in the Port, together with its connection to the gas transmission backbone network – southern section – towards Cagliari and the Sulcis area.
Given the importance of this concrete proposal, the Consortium, as the managing authority of the Oristano Industrial Area in which the Port is located, must express its views and underline the reservations that, at first glance, appear to arise from this project—particularly considering that, to date, no local stakeholder has been involved in its planning process.
First and foremost, it is necessary that this proposal be developed by placing the protection of public health and safety at the forefront and by ensuring the involvement of all institutional bodies in the area that can contribute to establishing a clear and reliable framework of knowledge.
It should be recalled that the Oristano Industrial Area and the Port constitute strategic infrastructure for the entire provincial territory, enabling the implementation of development policies across various sectors, including the energy sector. In this respect, in previous years the Consortium had strongly supported gasification initiatives, to the extent that within the Industrial Area three coastal LNG storage facilities completed the approval process, one of which has been built and is currently in operation.
The change in planning—from coastal storage facilities to an FSRU—substantially alters the overall scenario and introduces several critical issues that must be taken into consideration as the project progresses and, where appropriate, mitigated in order to avoid jeopardising the infrastructural development of the area and causing damage to the economic operators working in the Port of Oristano.
In fact, even in the absence of specific details regarding the project for installing the FSRU in the Port of Oristano, it is sufficient to note that similar facilities located in other national and international ports have led to severe limitations on nearby activities (including ship operations and movements), with additional restrictions during the periodic refilling of the FSRU’s storage tanks. As a result, during refuelling operations, vessel traffic through the port channel could be suspended, causing significant repercussions and economic losses for shipping companies and operators due to increased freight costs and delivery delays. Moreover, such restrictions could hinder the future development of cruise traffic, which is gradually beginning to take hold at the Port.
Therefore, any possibility of limiting or making more burdensome the shipping activities and vessel movements of the economic operators at the Port of Oristano must be absolutely avoided; otherwise, appropriate forms of compensation would need to be defined.