Methane in Sardinia from 2028, but with a half-way backbone

A half-ridge instead of a full one and the "realistic hypothesis" of completing the work by 2028. These are the coordinates of Sardinia's methane gas pipeline, where liquefied natural gas (LNG) will replace coal. Three ministries (Infrastructure, Enterprise, and Environment) signed the new Energy Prime Ministerial Decree between September 4th and 10th, which spells out in black and white the rules for the phase-out, the gradual elimination of fossil fuels that will lead to the final decommissioning of the Portovesme power plant after the Fiume Santo plant.

What's happening

This is a historic turning point: Sardinia is preparing to change its energy model, albeit belatedly. The real problem is that the island will do so with a sword of Damocles hanging over its head, as is the massive reliance on renewables. That's 6.2 gigawatts, the other half of the decarbonization that's keeping mayors awake at night. "Speculation disguised as transition," the tricolor sashes have long been repeating. Official documents on the pipeline, with deadlines and contracts, are all missing. But since the project has been in the works for a long time, some certainty exists.

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