The Italian Embassy in Tokyo was the venue for the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Italgas and Tokyo Gas Network. The two companies begin collaboration in gas distribution and experimental projects.
Italgas, leader in the networks sector in Italy and third in Europe and Tokyo Gas Network of the Tokyo Gas group intend to develop synergies according to the objectives of the bilateral "Strategic Partnership" between Italy and Japan. The document was signed by Paolo Gallo, CEO of Italgas, e Kunio Nohata, Chairperson of the Board of Tokyo Gas Network.
The Memorandum - explains a note - makes the exchange of technological knowledge and best practices in the fields of innovation and digitalisation operational. Italgas will share with Tokyo Gas the results and digital solutions created by its Digital Factory to improve network management, increase operational efficiency and have more sustainability in gas distribution. It will be interesting to see what they end up with two industrial cultures different in a sector that must change profoundly in the energy transition
The Italian ambassador to Tokyo, Gianluigi Benedetti, on the sidelines of the signing of the Memoradum, he recalled the recent meeting between the two heads of Italian and Japanese governments Giorgia Meloni e Fumio Kishida at the 33rd Italy-Japan Business Assembly. The most important Italian gas distribution company has acted as an interpreter of the agreements between the two political leaders and puts its gas tradition and the innovations coming out of its laboratories into play. Perhaps everything was already foreseen, as for other companies in other fields, when the two political leaders met.
Technical solutions also against seismic risk
Among the qualifying points of the signed document are the so-called green gases. Solutions will be studied to enable today's pipelines to use biomethane, hydrogen and synthetic methane. The only step towards the future so as not to abandon city networks in the green transition. In recent years Gallo has pushed the Turin company along the path of innovation. "We believe a lot in discussion and cooperation at a global level – he said – in particular with organizations that, like us, believe that technological innovation is the engine of their own growth path“. The collaboration with Tokyo Gas Network adds to others already underway, but is considered strategic because it aims to scouting of efficient and sustainable technologies towards net zero. The objective is medium-long term but there are no alternatives to the continuity of a network service.
Satoru Sawada, CEO of Tokyo Gas Network in turn, said that through the agreement we will work with the Italian company "with a view to achieving a stable energy supply and promoting decarbonisation, as envisaged in the management plan of the Compass Transformation group 23-25.” The company is very advanced in the management of pipelines in seismic territories and in this regard Italgas has announced that it will experiment with some solutions on sections of the network managed in Italy. On the other hand, the safety of city pipelines - in any climatic or geological condition - is a qualifying element of gas companies.
