Research and Development

In the Iren Group technological innovation is central in strategic decisions and in defining the products and services offered by the Group.

The Business Plan to 2025 confirms the centrality of innovation in the Iren Group’s Vision which will be expressed in the development of all the sectors in which it operates with the objective of making IREN an example of excellence and innovation in the multi‐utility sector. Specifically, the Industrial Plan outlines a strong development plan in support of the circular economy, according to a "multicircle" approach involving all the sectors in which the group is active. From this perspective, the main innovation activities underway within the Group are aimed at researching and adopting technologies and processes to support the sustainable development of the reference businesses.
The main research, development and innovation lines on which the Iren Group is investing regard:

  • energy efficiency divided into several levels and assets (customer, building, urban agglomerate, public lighting systems, energy assets of the Group);
  • study of new systems for the recovery of energy losses and an increase in the efficiency of the plants;
  • solutions for the production of renewable hydrogen and for the production of synthetic methane combined with the capture of carbon dioxide;
  • thermal energy and electricity storage systems;
  • study of business models and analysis of platforms for the implementation of Energy Communities;
  • processes aimed at maximising the recovery of energy and materials from different waste fractions, separately and not separately collected;
  • automation and robotics in waste treatment plants, to support operational staff;
  • Internet of Things ("IoT"), home automation and data intelligence ICT tools;
  • optimised management of the integrated water cycle (districtualisation, identification and reduction of network leaks) and instruments in support of sensors in the field;
  • detection and removal of pathogens in water samples;
  • systems for the quantitative reduction and recovery of material and/or energy from sludge deriving from waste water treatment processes;
  • innovative solutions connected with electric mobility;
  • “smart safety" systems for assisting staff or signalling potential risk situations;
  • “industry 4.0” solutions in support of the personnel involved in plant operation and maintenance activities, for predictive maintenance and monitoring in the field.

Iren manages the innovation processes through an open innovation model and, in keeping with this model, it has in progress fruitful collaborations with Universities, Research Centres, Innovation Hubs and innovative start‐ups. Additionally, it takes an active part in working groups and associations on specific research and development and promotes events such as conferences, workshops and hackathons. 2020 was characterised both by the continuation of technical activities related to the Group’s various co‐financed projects and by the development, also in partnership with innovative companies and start‐ups, of internal technological projects on the basis of planning which, starting from an analysis of the long‐term scenario, is aimed at offering the Group the tools needed to seize the opportunities and mitigate the risks deriving from evolution of the markets in which it operates.
"IREN UP", an innovative Corporate Venture Capital program with the aim of supporting the highest potential Italian startups in the cleantech sector, has been further structured during 2020. The program provides an unprecedented package of customized services including testing, technical support, legal advice, market testing, commercial and industrial agreements. During 2020, IREN UP completed two corporate venture transactions. The first transaction concerned a startup operating in the field of applied robotics and specifically in the waste sector. The second initiative relates to the circular economy and concerned investing, in early 2021, in an innovative company that deals with recycling applied to the polyurethane supply chain.
In addition, scouting activities and participation in events of the innovation ecosystem continued, enabling the identification of new investment targets for 2021.
Public open innovation events decreased during 2020 due to the Covid-19 emergency, which limited the ability to interact with the innovation ecosystem using traditional tools. Despite this difficulty IREN was able to support the 2020 edition of Innovation 4 Change by promoting a challenge focused on new business models connected to citizens' energy communities.

 

Completed and ongoing funded research projects

Also in 2020 IREN contributed to the creation of important innovation projects co‐financed with public funds for research. On this point, the main projects underway are presented below.The total investment for the IREN Group is approximately 8.8 million euro, of which around half being financed. In relation to these amounts, the expense incurred during the year was approximately € 1,200,000, of which approximately € 730,000 covered by loans.

The projects in progress in 2020 are presented below:

Recovery of material from WEE R1/R2 (Ministry of the Environment Call for Tenders)

The project has as its main objective the development of technologies with high replicability and rapidly transferable to the industrial world, aimed at optimising the management of waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE), and in particular the recovery of polyurethane from refrigerators (WEEE R1) as secondary raw material and optimisation of the separation of cement from the carcass of washing machines (WEEE R2). During 2020, Iren Ambiente and AMIAT, partners in the project, contributed to the development of the technical-economic feasibility analysis for the implementation of a refining line for polyurethane produced by the treatment of WEEE R1.

SATURNO (Bioeconomic Technological Platform – Piedmont Region Call for Tenders)

The project provides for the validation, on an industrial platform, of the conversion of the organic fraction of waste and of the CO2 of vehicle exhausts and industrial production, into biofuels and biochemicals; specifically, the project provides for use of the organic fraction of waste of municipal origin, normally converted into thermal energy, electricity, bio‐methane and compost, through the extraction of substances with high value added such as hydrogen, carboxylic acids, biofertilisers, and biostimulants.
IREN is involved in the project together with its associate GAIA, where tests will be carried out on the separation and treatment of bio-plastics separated from the OFMSW (Organic Fraction of Municipal Solid Waste); IREN is also involved in the development of the Business Plan for the SATURNO integrated biorefinery, which will be tested and validated during the project.

During 2020, IREN began collecting and processing experimental data in order to set up the activities for developing the Business Plan; it also collaborated in the activities related to the quantification/characterization of the extraneous fraction (with particular reference to plastics) present in the FORSU from separate waste collection.

OnlyPlastic (RFCS – 2019)

The OnlyPlastic project aims to replace fossil carbon sources (coal, coke, petroleum coke) in the electric arc furnaces of the Feralpi steel plant in Lonato (BS) with densified polymers derived from residues from the treatment of plastic waste. In order to achieve optimum use of SRA (secondary reducing agent) granules in Feralpi's steel plant, a prototype is to be built for the transport, handling and loading of the granules, as well as the design of a new injection system that meets the characteristics of the SRA obtained in accordance with the specifications of the UNI 10667-17 standard.

Within the project, the role of IREN, through I.BLU, is configured in the production of densified plastic material to be used as a reducing agent/ foam alternative to fossil fuels in steel production processes. I.BLU will supply a product deriving from post-consumer plastic residues destined for injection and a product designed for loading into baskets.

PolynSPIRE (Horizon 2020)

The PolynSPIRE project aims to demonstrate a range of sustainable, innovative and cost-effective solutions for the energy and material recovery of post-consumer plastics and industrial waste. Three macro-sectors of innovation are considered: 1) chemical recycling assisted by the use of microwaves and magnetic catalysts; 2) advanced additives and irradiation of polymers with high energy radiation to promote high quality plastic recycling; 3) development of plastic waste as a carbon source in the steel industry. Specifically, IREN participates in the project through its subsidiary I.BLU contributing to the third line of research.

CHESTER (Horizon 2020)

The project has the objective of developing and integrating an innovative solution of the Power‐to‐Heat‐to‐Power type that will enable maximisation of the exploitation of non‐programmable electricity RESs and thermal RESs already combined with TLR (district heating) systems. The system involved in the study, named CHEST, making use of heat pumps, latent heat storages and Organic Rankine Cycles (ORCs), will make it possible to transform electricity into heat, store it and subsequently produce new electricity.
IREN is involved in the project as district heating network operator and has provided operational data of electricity and heat production of the Turin plants and district heating network demand as input to the CHEST system model. IREN supervises the development phases of the system components and control infrastructure and during 2020 has started the analysis of market opportunities arising from the exploitation of the CHEST system in its plants.

Energy Shield (Horizon 2020)

The project intends to develop an integrated cyber security platform, usable by all actors of the energy chain (Transmission System Operators, Distributors, Aggregators, Producers) to prevent future attacks and learn how to defend yourself by analyzing past attacks.
IREN participates as a Distributor (through IRETI) supporting the partners in the definition of the specific cyber security instruments, preparing a feasibility test (on paper) and possibly an “offline” field test applied to one or more subsystems of the network (remote control, SCADA, smart meters, supporting TLC networks etc.). During 2020, testing of the functionality of the "security culture framework and tool" was conducted for field-tested and/or evaluated use cases.
IREN and IRETI have interacted with partners/technology providers for the development of the different software that will make up the integrated platform.

ENERGYNIUS (POR-FESR 2014-2020 Emilia-Romagna)

The ENERGYNIUS (acronym for Energy Networks Integration for Urban Systems) project intends to outline models of development that enable Energy Communities and Energy Districts to carry out bidirectional exchanges with energy networks, thus offering energy and services to the regional/national system. Software instruments based on optimised management algorithms, real‐time simulation models and energy district diagnostics will also be developed to identify the best technological and control solutions for energy production, storage and distribution systems. Some of the algorithms developed will be integrated into a hardware device for the control of energy plants. Software and hardware instruments will be validated in both simulated and real environments on at least three study cases. IREN participates in the project as an external partner, providing its point of view on the development of the project tools and eventually with field tests.

EVERYWH2ERE (Horizon 2020)

The objective of the project is to develop an electric generator with “plug and play” fuel cells, easy to transport around the city for temporary electrical power in various sectors (building sites, music festivals, temporary events, exhibition centres) and able to guarantee high levels of reliability and safety as well as a reduction in emissions compared to traditional generators.
The IREN Group, as a third party of Environment Park, will test a hydrogen skid, currently installed at the Friem headquarters in Segrate (Milan), for electricity production during events/trade fairs (Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS)/mobile generator mode). During 2020, IREN has identified events related to the city of Turin during which to test the skid and current business models and authorization parameters for the future marketability of the developed solutions.

INCIT-EV (Horizon 2020)

The objective of the INCIT-EV project is to develop and field test a set of electric vehicle charging infrastructure, hardware and software technologies and business models to drive large-scale adoption of electric mobility.
IREN and IRETI will play a central role in the development of the pilot project in the Caio Mario interchange car park in Turin, which intends to test a system of DC columns (both slow and fast recharging), directly connected to the DC power supply of the trams. During 2020, IREN participated in the definition of the specifications of the decision support system related to private electric mobility, in the measurement campaigns for the preliminary setup of the Turin Pilot and will coordinate the partners involved in the definition of the specifications for the construction of the conversion cabin.

PLANET (Horizon 2020)

The project aims at developing technologies and analysing the regulatory constraints for taking synergistic advantage of the distribution networks (electricity, gas and heat). During the project storage and conversion technologies have been modelled; multi-grid intelligent automated management systems have been simulated; new business models have been created; energy conversion systems have been tested in a physical pilot.
During 2020 IREN designed and installed a pilot heat pump system that can be managed remotely, to integrate the heating and cooling system, at a building it manages in Turin. The aim of the experimentation was to test in the field the joint management of energy vectors for the activation of demand flexibility strategies with a view to providing ancillary services to the electricity grid. The heat pump was tested in the winter heating season to balance load imbalances or participate in ancillary electricity markets, while optimizing the building's energy needs and flexibility measures required by the electrical grid.

PUMP-HEAT (Horizon 2020)

The project has the objective of increasing the flexibility of conventional fossil source plants, in particular combined cycles, in order to satisfy the ever‐increasing needs of the network to offset the demand fluctuations deriving from renewable sources. The project investigates the combination of heat pumps with cogenerative combined cycle and conventional combined cycle plants; the combination with systems for heat and cold storage is also analysed. Specifically, in 2020, the heat pump and the phase change thermal storage system were delivered to the IREN plant in Moncalieri (TO). The activities for the integration of the pilot plant with one of the two combined cycles are currently being completed, with the aim of testing the technologies studied and developed during the project.

STORE&GO (Horizon 2020)

The STORE&GO project, concluded in February 2020, tested 3 innovative Power to Gas (P2G) systems located in Germany, Switzerland and Italy, in order to identify and overcome the technical, economic, social and legal barriers associated with the technology for converting electricity into chemical energy, in the form of hydrogen molecules or synthetic methane. The project aimed to evaluate the possibility of integrating the P2G storage system within cutting-edge energy production and distribution systems. IREN’s role regarded the study of the technical/economic possibilities of integrating P2G technology into thermoelectric production systems.

5G-Solutions (Horizon 2020)

The objective of the 5G‐Solutions project, launched in 2019, is to test, in different field tests, the functioning, potential and limits of the 5G network, con particular attention to assessing the performance indicators defined by the standardisation bodies responsible. These tests will involve the following verticals: Factories of the Future, Smart Energy, Smart Cities, Smart Ports, Media & Entertainment.
IREN participates in the activities of the “Energy” vertical, assessing the benefits related to integration and use of the 5G network (and of its main characteristics of speed, limited latency and high reliability) in the cases of use of Demand Side Management at industrial level and of Smart Charging of electrical vehicles.
In 2020, the locations of the pilots have been defined: the parking lot of IREN headquarters in Turin (Martinetto) for the use cases on smart mobility and, in synergy with the PLANET project pilot, a building of the City of Turin equipped with a prototype Heat Pump for the use cases on Demand Side Management. The software infrastructure for the control and monitoring of the case studies has been defined and developed in Beta version. Finally, a first prototype of the hardware that will control the heat pump remotely has been developed, and 5G connectivity tests with proprietary VPN have been performed.

Evolution2G (EMEurope Call 2016)

The “eVolution2G” project, which began in June 2018, is intended to study in depth and test directly in the field the Vehicle to Grid (V2G) concept, that is a system in which electric vehicles have a balancing role on electricity grids. The main innovations of the project are based on:

  • Development of an EMCS (Energy Management and Control System) prototype, for data management according to the various subjects involved, with a view to improving the balance of the electricity network;
  • Tests on prototypes of V2G recharging solutions, at both the domestic level and the public/urban level.

IREN has equipped itself with 2 bi-directional DC prototype columns and has carried out several experimental tests related to different usage scenarios (i.e. vehicle charging, powering a stand-alone house, using the car battery to power the grid).

WaterTech (MIUR)

The project arises from the merger of two project ideas WATERTECH and SMART WATER presented under the MEUR Smart Cities tender with a view to offering a more robust analysis of the integrated water service, aiming both to manage problems related to water distribution networks, and to apply innovative models and technologies for treating waste water.

In 2020, the loan agreement was signed and research activities on water and wastewater systems continued.

WATERSPY – High performance, compact, portable photonic device for pervasive water quality analysis (H2020)

The WATERSPY project is developing and defining a method for detecting the presence of heterotrophic bacteria in aqueous matrices such as Escherichia Coli, pseudomonas aeruginosa and salmonella. The instrument, developed at the prototype level for use in the field at water service supply sources (artificial lakes) and in the distribution network, provides for a stage of pre‐concentration which enables the bio‐sensor to bind the bacteria onto a surface which is subsequently analysed using laser technology. The project ended formally at the end of February 2020.

MARILIA - MARA-BASED INDUSTRIAL LOW-COST IDENTIFICATION ASSAYS (H2020)

The MARILIA project, started in September 2020, aims to develop, from Technology Readiness Level 2/3 to 5, a new low-cost, high-sensitivity, expeditive test for the detection of pathogens in water samples, but potentially applicable also in other sectors such as food, health, agriculture. The objective is to validate the test at laboratory level, developed for the identification of a set of bacteria (to be identified with the contribution of IREN), laying the foundations for a subsequent deployment in the field by introducing a significant streamlining in terms of speed and cost compared to current analytical practices. In the first four months of activity IREN, with the collaboration of IRETI and IREN Laboratories, participated in the definition of the specifications of the sensor that will be developed according to the needs of the end-users (analysis laboratories, water service managers and control bodies).

PRELUDE (Horizon 2020)

The objective of the project, awarded in 2020, is to test, in several pilot projects in Europe, solutions in the field of innovative management of buildings and plants, free-running mode, self-consumption and integration of renewable sources. From the technological point of view, PRELUDE intends to integrate multiple physical and mathematical models developed by the partners, databases of the different pilots and monitoring and control systems of the assets of the pilot projects in a single modular/middleware platform that is based on FusiX (metadata infrastructure and DSS - Decision Support System), developed by partner EMTECH in previous EU projects. IREN and IREN Smart Solutions participate in the project as coordinators of the Italian Pilot by installing in some apartments different levels of sensors, implementation and direct feedback on the inhabitants.

RES-DHC (Horizon 2020)

The objective of the project, also awarded in 2020, is to create tools to support regulators and stakeholders in increasing the use of renewables in district heating and cooling systems. Programmatic and techno-economic assessment tools, actions to improve policies and regulatory frameworks, and innovative dissemination and communication means will be tested in 6 European pilot projects with the aim of validating their benefits and preparing a set of tools for future energy projects.
IREN and IREN Energia participate in RES-DHC to test the tools and skills of the partners on studies/projects for the renewal of existing TLR networks or new expansion projects, with the primary objective of improving the way in which the Group's innovative district heating 4.0 projects are planned, communicated and accepted. During 2020, a screening of projects in line with the project goals was started (on the basis of the outcome a stakeholder group will be formed) and the dissemination plan valid for Italy was defined.

BESTSAFE4IREN (Bando PRIA4.0 - Competence center CIM4.0)

The project aims to increase the levels of redundancy, security and interoperability of the equipment for the Safety of workers, integrating them with a wireless LoRa infrastructure and a new generation DLT patent able to certify in a standardized and anonymized way on blockchain networks the data from field sensors in order to ensure the appropriate level of neutrality needed for operational, regulatory, insurance and legal use. The project, started in late 2020, will develop a solution that will be tested on a portion of TRM's plant and on a portion of the City of Turin's hillside where IREN operators handle waste collection.

 

Other innovation activities

During 2020, alongside the financed projects, IREN launched approximately 40 initiatives and self‐financed projects, which engaged resources internal and external to the company. In particular, as regards external collaborations, IREN activated multiple research contracts with Italian Universities which regarded aspects such as the design and testing of innovative plant solutions in support of the IREN businesses, the creation of models and the identification of new processes and services.

A number of significant self‐financed projects are presented below:

Water

Research activities continued for optimisation of water pipeline networks during the year.
Specifically, tests continued on sensors for monitoring hydraulic transients in water distribution networks and on the instrumentation, in order to identify and eliminate the causes generating the damaging effects of hydraulic transients on the pipes and causing breakages. IREN has also started collaborations aimed at testing the use of specific probes to detect the presence of water in biomasses through the measurement of cosmic rays in the aqueduct and in the hydroelectric field for the water estimation of snowpacks.
In addition IREN benefited from the results of an important research project aimed at improving the ARERA technical quality indicators in the integrated water cycle sector, for the purpose of responding to the needs of competitiveness and efficiency required by the new Regulation of the Technical Quality of the Integrated Water Service supporting the adoption of innovation in the planning of Investments.

In the water sector, following the patent filing of the technological core that demonstrated the feasibility of the acoustic telemetry technique, in 2020, it carried out the design of the components of the system with acoustic modems by experimenting them on portions of the network made in the laboratory (bed test) and in the field.

Activities connected with research on new technologies to be applied to purification processes also continued, with the aim of reducing the production of surplus sludge and recovering material and deriving energy with the objective of reducing total operating costs. In this area, the Group continued to collaborate with startups and research entities, with the goal of assessing the yields and applicability of innovative processes such as hydrolysis, gasification or biotechnological processes for the extraction of high-value compounds, such as biopolymers. With regard to gasification, an in-depth study was conducted to assess the feasibility and methods of applying the process to the sludge line of the Group's purification plants.

In 2020, IREN Group continued its research activities with the aim of standardizing the procedure for sampling and managing odorigenic emissions.

The research activity involving Hera, IREN, SMAT, and A2A also continued. During the year, in fact, IREN continued to share its experience and knowledge through joint development of innovative projects, with repercussions to the benefit of the said Companies, with the objective of developing applied research, innovation and technological development in the context of management of the water service. In particular, projects continued dedicated to (i) sensors for on-line monitoring dedicated to early warning; (ii) the recovery of substances useful for the production of bioplastics from the purification cycle of urban waste water; (iii) the management of the presence of Legionella in water networks by comparing different analytical methods; (iv) the monitoring of chlorites and chlorates by identifying infrastructural and technological interventions, control and mitigation activities, and behaviours in the field of transparency and communication, in view of the entry into force of new limits provided by the revision of the European Drinking Water Directive for the two disinfection by-products (DBPs) Chlorite and Chlorate.

Projects included in the foundation's research programme

During the year, IREN continued its collaboration in the context of research projects funded by the AMGA Foundation relating to economic and regulatory issues and technical-scientific aspects related to water, energy and environmental resources. Further projects will be identified and selected in a research call that the Foundation will issue this year.

Among these, we note the research on:

  • Applicability of Landfill Mining to old landfill sites in Italy;
  • MYRAEE - MYco Recovery of Electrical and Electronic Equipment;
  • Nanocatalysers based on manganese oxides for sustainable energy production (Mn4Energy);
  • Comparative assessment of biogas cleaning and upgrading processes;
  • Markets in search of regulation: tenders for gas distribution concessions;
  • Optimal methods of managing urban drainage systems based on innovative monitoring of rainfall using IoT low‐power wide‐area network technology;
  • The economic, environmental and organisational performance of the Italian water sector;
  • Reuse of purified wastewater: analysis of the hygienic-sanitary impact;
  • Regulation of water and environmental services, analysis of factors that determine operating and capital costs, and possible impacts on price recognition models:
  • Energy markets and consumer switching: the drivers and the potentially effective intervention tools;
  • Proposed actions for the removal of emerging pollutants and micropollutants in water treatment plants. Conventional and innovative processes;
  • National guidelines for the sustainability of third‐sector entities (TSEs) with particular reference to energy and water;
  • Behavioural economy and energy market;
  • Cost‐benefit analysis in the energy field (reference to no‐dig);
  • Cost characteristics and economies of scale in the waste management sector;
  • Application of WSP to the water service: methodological and informative aspects for the stakeholders involved;
  • Development and validation of procedures for the assessment of the input of biomethane into distribution networks;
  • Resilience indicators in water distribution systems with respect to climatic and socio‐economic changes;
  • Models for the forecasting and management of damage to networks in the case of floods. The project was launched in 2017.

Environment

During 2020, the first part of a research and experimentation activity was completed which concerns a reaction for the immobilization of CO2 deriving from combustion processes in solid state matrices, using reactions that make use of extractable acids and/or analogues from vegetable substances. After the definition of yields and reaction kinetics, the activity continued with the support of an industrial partner for the realization of a first prototype of the system.
A feasibility study was also developed on the integration of innovative solutions for the decarbonisation of combustion plants, with particular reference to the conversion of carbon dioxide‐rich flows into molecules with high added value, such as methane, making use of systems for the production of thermal energy and electricity from renewable sources. Specifically, the TRM waste-to-energy plant was considered as a use case.
In 2020, the research activity continued; this regards the use that can be made of bottom and fly ashes produced by the Group’s incineration plants. Specifically, the activities carried out, which involved universities and industry, focused on evaluating the industrial applicability of the processes previously studied at laboratory level (carbonation, washing).
In the early months of 2020, the activities connected with the research grant for the exploitation of mixed plastics from WEEE were concluded, in which the possibility of their use in cement mixtures or in bitumen, as a partial replacement for aggregates, was studied and explored in depth.With regard to the treatment of WEEE, a feasibility study has been developed in 2020 with annexed field tests of a robotic system based on artificial vision for the automation of the disassembly process (currently mainly manual) of LCD screens at the end of their useful life treated at the TBD plant in Volpiano (TO). The activity ended with the preliminary design of a semi-automated robotic line to be installed at the above-mentioned plant, which is expected to be completed in 2021.

Lastly, a feasibility and technological scouting study concerning innovative processes for the production of biopolymers and bio-composites from organic vegetable waste, including OFMSW, and for the valorisation of digestate/compost through the extraction and production of fertilised products in compliance with the new European regulations was completed in 2020.

Energy

Industry 4.0 Innovation

IREN is continuing a research activity on seeking innovative solutions falling under the definition of “Industry 4.0” applicable to the Energy Business Unit, with particular reference to the maintenance sector. The analysis focused on specific verticals, that is operator safety, infrastructure monitoring and big data, concentrating on the thermoelectric, hydroelectric and district heating sectors.

During 2020, testing activities using drones for inspections of dams, reservoirs and rocky slopes continued. In addition, some IREN Energia employees were trained in the use of drones and joined external personnel during inspection activities. All the data acquired over the years is now available on a cloud platform. The prototype rover for the inspection of bypass tunnels has been completed and tested in an operational environment: once industrialised, the robot will be able to travel through the tunnels acquiring images and 3D mapping, communicating with the outside world via a wireless network during inspection. Again, in the hydroelectric sector tests are continuing on the use, in an operating context, of smart glasses systems in order to enable interaction between the operating field and the control room and real‐time data communication. Training days were organised for maintenance staff.

In 2020, in the colder months, the experimental technique of monitoring district heating networks by air was once again used. Thanks to the use of a high‐resolution thermographic camera, mounted on an aircraft, it was possible to fly, in a winter night, over the city of Turin and identify using thermal image processing software the water and heat leaks of the network.

In the district heating field, instead, an experimental activity was completed for the remote monitoring of the environmental parameters of the network valve chambers, considered confined spaces, making use of a connectivity technology capable of sending the data to a centralised database and analysing this information. The goal of the project is to increase operator safety and provide additional information useful for planning maintenance activities in such spaces.

Other innovations in the energy field

In the research area, during the year, IREN:

  • carried out, in collaboration with the Department of Energy of the Polytechnic of Turin and Environment Park, some feasibility studies of solutions for the production of hydrogen from renewable sources and synthetic fuels, exploiting the flow of carbon dioxide from processes of capture from fumes or upgrade of biogas into biomethane. During the study, the use of these energy carriers for local public mobility was evaluated. In this context, IREN is also active in bodies and associations for the promotion and regulation of hydrogen development;
  • analysed solutions for the recovery of geothermal heat and waste heat in combination with metropolitan transport networks.
  • transformed a portion of the uncovered parking lot of the Martinetto headquarters into an experimental laboratory for testing smart lighting systems. In this area, innovative lighting fixtures from different manufacturers were installed in 2020. They are equipped with sensors capable of processing external stimuli (radar, presence sensors) and can be controlled remotely via a platform capable of integrating inputs from different databases;
  • launched research to estimate the impacts of public and private electric mobility on Turin's electricity distribution network, with the aim of supporting decisions on network development;
  • launched a project for the development of solutions to support renewable energy communities for which Italian regulations are currently being published, anticipating part of the transposition of the European RED-II directive, and set up a pilot to test technologies currently on the market;
  • completed studies on fourth generation district heating networks powered by renewable sources or heat pumps, as well as feasibility studies for the reconstruction of existing networks;
  • continued the LoRa Castellarano project, which has provided with the implementation of IoT connectivity network based on LoRaWAN communication protocol to cover the city of Castellarano. The aim of the project is to test typical smart city solutions starting from the assets managed by IREN, such as the gas distribution network, the drinking water network, the waste collection, up to additional services for citizens, such as monitoring weather conditions, noise, parking and comfort conditions of some buildings owned by the Municipality.

Corporate Venture Capital – IREN UP

During 2020, numerous activities were carried out in the context of the Corporate Venture Capital programme. First of all, a transaction was completed with a startup active in the field of robotics applied to the waste sector. Iren Group has secured potential entry into the equity of the innovative company on favourable terms in the next investment round.

At year-end, an investment agreement was concluded with an innovative Piedmontese company operating in the polyurethane recycling chain; the operation also includes a commercial agreement that will guarantee the Group an additional solution for the disposal of certain types of waste.

In the second half of 2020, the Group participated in institutional events and collaborations, such as the National Innovation Award (NIA) and Techstars, which allowed it to continue its scouting activities for new startups, identifying possible new investment targets for 2021.

During the year, the management of the investee companies continued, verifying the achievement of milestones and signing supplementary agreements, to extend certain option rights.

The research and analysis of startups at national level in 2020 produced contacts with more than 400 startups, of which approximately ten are in an advanced stage of expounding their dossiers.