Press releases

The ESRIN centre in Frascati turns into a sustainability island

The centre hosted a pilot project including an innovative ICT infrastructure, 8 charging points for electric vehicles and a “SmartComp” for organic waste. A system for water reuse to irrigate green areas is under scrutiny

Transforming the ESA-ESRIN centre of the European Space Agency into a small sustainability island provided with next-generation technologies developed by Acea Innovation. This is the goal of the innovative projects designed by Acea Group in the centre of Frascati and revealed this morning in the presence of Giuseppe Gola, CEO of ACEA. Within the structure, the multi-utility has implemented two projects to considerably reduce the environmental impact of its headquarters and staff, through electric mobility and the treatment of organic waste. In a perspective of circular economy, green mobility systems will be implemented in the coming months, accompanied by a technological platform supporting the operation and monitoring services of management and environmental KPIs, providing continuous analysis capabilities. A further initiative aimed at reusing water resources is currently under study.

As far as sustainable mobility is concerned, ACEA Innovation – CPO (Charge Point Operator) of ACEA Group - installed eight charging points for electric vehicles, powered by 100% green energy, which can be used via dedicated cards for ESA employees and collaborators and managed by BOMTS, its own ICT technology platform. The system is complemented by an innovative digital portal, which allows to receive, verify and manage 24 hours a day all the data relating to charging infrastructure and to the use by enabled users, providing a series of KPIs processed in real time.

Moreover, Acea Innovation will be providing its own Global Service for the real-time management – even via a 24h control room - of SmartComp, the smart composter patented by Acea, installed at the canteen service of the centre with a capacity of 35 tons/year, accounting for a maximum of 70tons of Co2 emission reduction in the atmosphere. This composting plant - provided with IA - leverages its sensor technology to treat the organic fraction directly at the place where it is produced, transforming it into high-quality compost to be used as a fertiliser in the site's green areas, thus eliminating the environmental impact of wet waste collection and transport through a zero-kilometre process.

Lastly, "Ingegneria e Servizi" - the Acea Group area responsible for designing, building and managing networks and plants - is already studying a project to reuse wastewater - already treated on site - and rainwater to irrigate green areas.

"We are particularly pride to launch today these projects born from our collaboration with the European Space Agency, which shares with us the focus on sustainable development issues,' said Giuseppe Gola, CEO of Acea. 'What has been carried out at the ESA centre harmonises with our development plans in the fields of electric mobility and circular economy. This is also due to the applied innovative technologies, allowing us to give our contribution to achieving the decarbonisation goals of the green economy."