The Arborea Associated Assignees Cooperative (3A) has become the main production hub of the dairy and cow sector in Sardinia. A reality with 248 members, owners of farms located throughout Sardinia, who deliver an average of 524 thousand liters of milk produced every day in specialized and selected farms that count about 50,000 head of cattle. 3A collects about 90% of the cow’s milk produced in Sardinia, for an annual volume of about 191 million liters.

The 3A Cooperative, with its plant located in Aborea, in the Province of Oristano, has an energy requirement of 15.5 GWhe/year and 32 GWht/year. The aim was to gradually reduce the use of BTZ (fuel oil) within its production cycle in favour of a greener and more efficient fuel, in order to self-produce at least 60% of the plant’s energy needs.

The wishes of the 3A Cooperative, inserted within the context of the Sardinia region (the only Italian region not covered by methane), have led to the adoption of the use of liquid natural gas as an alternative energy source as the only possible solution. Through the collaboration between CPL CONCORDIA and POLARGAS (the group’s company specialising in LNG distribution), an important energy upgrading project has been carried out through the following interventions:

• Construction of a Liquid Natural Gas Regasification Plant
• Storage capacity: 110 m³ – Plant flow rate 1,500 Sm3/h
• Construction of a cogeneration plant fuelled by natural gas (size 1 MWe and approx. 1.2 MWt)
• Redevelopment of the thermal power plant with the insertion of Dual-Fuel burners (BTZ and Methane Gas)

The use of natural gas for the production of electricity and heat, as an alternative to BTZ, has led to great environmental benefits through the reduction of emissions into the atmosphere: CO2, SOx and NOx. The supply of Liquid Natural Gas (LNG), managed by POLARGAS, has Guaranteed more than 8,000 operating hours/year of the CHP.
The logistics designed by POLARGAS to deliver LNG to the island guaranteed price competitiveness and continuity of supply. Currently, LNG is loaded on tankers (capacity: 20 tons) at the Sagunto Terminal (Valencia – Spain), transported by ferry from Valencia to Cagliari and then continued by road to the Aborea plant. Currently, the plant covers almost 60% of its electricity needs through the photovoltaic system and the cogenerator.