The district heating network promoted by the company Bioman S.p.A. is currently still in the design phase. The project, already well defined and including the expropriation parcel plan, was approved by the Friuli Venezia Giulia Region on 20/02/2020.
Subsequently, the promoting company submitted to the Regional Authority a new plant engineering section (woody combustion boiler), for which the Region imposed a design development of the previously approved district heating network. With this amendment, the Company has also changed the source of waste heat provided to feed the grid, without however specifying the amount of energy supplied or the related operating methods. During the last six months, Bioman S.p.A. has also requested the Region to partially modify the expropriation parcel plan (the formalization of this update is currently awaited). This deadlock situation has led the Municipality to reconsider the district heating project in more general terms.
In the first period of the project the pilot had the objective of accompanying the development of the Bioman DHN by contributing to an effective and efficient development of the network, with a view to environmental, economic and social sustainability both for the company providing the waste heat and for public and private users.
Starting from the changes established by the Company, Municipality of Maniago redefined the pilot project with the support of APE FVG, deciding to expand the research perimeter to include other waste heat suppliers in the area (some of them form a consortium that has already been contacted as stakeholder). This approach allows the public entity to be less dependent on potential monopolies, design networks with a more diversified supply, and possibly address a broader demand from end users.
The Pilot will provide support to the Municipality for a more rational development of the network, taking into account all the actual possible suppliers of waste heat; it will be able to guide the involvement of public and private entities interested in a potential connection to the district heating network, providing for necessary and non-discretionary public engagement measures.