Environment

During the year, the contractual planning for the delivery of pulper waste guaranteed the fuel requirements for the entire period. We report that on 27 April 2021, a specific request was submitted to the National Committee for the management of Directive 2003/87/EC and for the management of the project activities of the Kyoto Protocol to the Italian Ministry of Energy Transition, intended for the exclusion of the Terni waste-to-energy plant from the scope of the so-called Emission Trading System (ETS), pursuant to art. 2, paragraph 2, letter c) of Italian Legislative Decree no. 30/13, for definition of pulper waste under the category “of non-hazardous special waste produced by treatment plants, supplied annually with urban waste for a quota greater than 50% in weight”. The process has not yet reached a conclusion.
Furthermore, on 20 October 2021, a request was submitted for a review to renew the Integrated Environmental Authorisation, in order to bring it into line with the BAT Conclusions for waste incineration plants (as per Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2019/2010 of 12 November 2019), which is currently in progress with the expectation that the measure will be achieved by the end of 2022.

On 26 April 2021 the works for the demolition of the treatment plant, underground tanks and former mineralised water production building resumed, following the update to the executive plan. The works are currently continuing as planned. With reference to Building Permit no.116 issued on 16 June 2020, on 29 April 2021 the start of the works with site preparation activities was communicated to the Municipality of Paliano. It should also be noted that on 17 December 2021, ARPA Lazio forwarded the inspection and sampling technical report drawn up by the same ARPA technical personnel following the sampling consultation. The necessary in-depth studies are being carried out with the appointed technical consultants, in order to prepare and submit any comments on the matter. We are awaiting the Ministry of Ecological Transition to convene the services conference for the approval of the Risk Analysis already sent to the Bodies.

The waste-to-energy plant is currently the only waste-to-energy plant on a regional scale and represents a strategic terminal for the waste chain.
Regarding Lines 2 and 3, after expiry of the CIP 6 Agreement on 13 July 2019, electricity sold to the national grid is valued at market tariffs. Electricity sold to the national grid from Line 1 is valued at market tariffs and benefits from the incentive recognised for the quota attributable to the biodegradable portion of the waste.
During the year, lines 1, 2 and 3 of the plant guaranteed regular operation in terms of operating hours.
Regarding the disposal/recovery of waste produced in the waste-to-energy process, the Company has established an adequate number of contracts for the current year, which guarantee operations of the three Lines without interruption.
Expected performance of the plant during the period in question, both in terms of waste treatment and production of electricity, were affected by adverse weather conditions recorded in the first half of the year. Performance was also affected by the postponement, to the end of the second half of 2021, of the service of the line 2 turbogenerator and the investments planned to improve line 1 performance.
From March 2020 to date, in the context of the Covid-19 health emergency, with order no. Z00015 of 25 March 2020, the Lazio Region established that Acea Ambiente, in relation to the plant in question, receive and launch combustion, for lines 2 and 3, in addition to SRF, of unseparated urban waste originating from the homes of individuals who have tested positive for SARS-Cov-2, who are self-isolating or subject to mandatory quarantine.
To launch the activities ordered by the Lazio Region, specific commercial contracts were prepared with the suppliers and specific procedures were created for the management of the receipt, storage and supply operations for waste contaminated with Covid-19 sent for thermal destruction.

During the period, in accordance with the information shown in the Integrated Environmental Authorisation and the contracts signed with Sub-Section 4 of the AURI of Umbria (Umbria Authority for Waste and Water — formerly ATI4 Umbria) and the Municipalities of the Section of reference, the supply of non-hazardous urban and special waste continued, implementing the recovery and disposal activities according to the terms provided for herein. During the period under review, the Orvieto hub was involved in one construction project regarding the construction of the storage shed and compost maturation, which, following suspension due Covid-19, the original dates outlined in plans for completion of works have been extended; on 4 June 2021, the performance inspection certificate was issued related to the works to construct the compost storage and maturation shed and with subsequent Acea Ambiente memo no. 3440, the Umbria Region was notified of the launch of the plant for 7 July 2021. Operations were slowed due to a structural problem with a pillar caused by a collision with a construction vehicle during the loading of the slabs. Once the pillar was restored, activities resumed and commissioning analyses were scheduled by October 2021. Finally, it should be noted that the construction of step 10 of the landfill has been completed and tested. The determination of a non-substantial amendment by which the work on the slopes of the gully can begin was also issued by the Umbria Region. Finally, it should be noted that on 8 November 2021, AURI began the process of planning flows for 2022 with the usual request for information from the various operators, to which the Company promptly responded on 24 November 2021. On 13 December 2021, AURI sent its planning proposal in which quantities far in excess of those granted are evident. Acea Ambiente responded to this proposal on 16 December 2021, highlighting several critical issues. Also on 23 December 2021, AURI essentially communicated that it could not proceed with a comprehensive flow plan for 2022 and effectively extended the first few weeks of 2022 under the same conditions as 2021. Acea Ambiente also responded to this note, pointing out that this method does not allow for a correct contracting of the contributors, thus proposing to be able to count on the same quantity of special waste authorised for 2021. AURI in turn agreed with this approach.
At this time, the overall flow plan for 2022 is pending. However, this delay is linked to the criticality of residual volume of Umbrian landfills, a well-known fact and to address this, the Umbria Region is planning to issue a resolution, expected for the first days of January 2022.

On 27 August 2020, in accordance with the deadline envisaged by the calendar approved by the Tuscany Region, the Company submitted a request to review the Integrated Environmental Authorisation for its adjustment to the BAT Conclusions for waste treatment plants (as per Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2018/1147 of 10 August 2018 of the European Commission). Regarding this procedure, two Services Conferences were held and two different document additions requested, which the Company promptly provided, the last of which on 4 May 2021. On 17 September 2021, the Tuscany Region sent R.D. no. 15895 of 15 September 2021 as a review of the IEA. The act, which had typos and inconsistencies between the various documents (e.g. preliminary report and PMeC), was subsequently remedied by means of the rectification issued by Executive Determination 19226 of 4 November 2021. In any case, the new IEA, by virtue of the achievement of the Environmental Management System certification to UNI EN ISO 14001 level, authorises the plant for a duration of 12 years.
In December 2021, an explanatory note was sent to ARPA Tuscany Region providing information and explanations regarding several exceedances recorded during the analysis of the emissions of the biofilter with reference to the odour parameter and for a single sector to ammonia. Various in-depth studies are underway, including with the support of external laboratories, and extraordinary interventions have been planned, partly in collaboration with the ATI that built the plant, which will be concluded with the total or partial replacement of the bio-filtering biomass.

With regard to the composting section of the Sabaudia plant, the Integrated Environmental Authorisation issued by the Lazio Region on 1 December 2008 is still being renewed. In any case the IEA was formally extended by the Lazio Region pending the conclusion of the authorisation process.

The tender procedure was completed and the works for the adaptation of the plant to the requirements of the Consorzio di Bonifica Agro Pontino were assigned following verification of the adequacy of the tenders. The works were handed over to the company on 24 June 2020 and completed on 10 March 2021. As it stands, part of the works (demolition and reconstruction of a roof) has not been possible to execute because it was subject to the issue by the Municipality of Sabaudia, which has been sent several formal requests, of an amnesty which must be followed by a planning authorisation.
Certain works originally planned under contract were scrapped, while works carried out were tested in September 2021.
On 23 September 2021, the Municipality of Sabaudia sent to the Superintendent the technical/explanatory report, with proposed measure, for the issuance of an amnesty/planning authorisation on a portion of existing buildings. With prot. no. 51589 of 30 November 2021, the Municipality of Sabaudia issued, with the positive opinion of the Superintendent attached, the planning opinion which effectively resolves the decades-old issue of building permits.
The Municipality’s final investigation for the amnesty permit remains to be completed. It is therefore hoped that in the first quarter of 2022, the municipal process will be concluded and the authorisation process will be reactivated in the Lazio Region for the definition of the VIA and the IEA review in the configuration of the plant extension.
Pending the resumption of plant activity in its new configuration, scheduled for January 2024, all UL6 Operating Personnel were progressively transferred to the UL7 composting plant in Aprilia, with the last movements taking place on 15 June 2020.

The plant is authorised for operation with an Integrated Environmental Authorisation issued by the Lazio Region with ED no. G00101 of 12 January 2021 as a review of the previous authorisation ED. no. G08408 of 7 July 2015 and subsequent amendments and additions.
On 14 December 2017 an emergency preventive seizure order was issued for the entire composting plant currently in operation due to the results of an inspection by the controlling authorities that found the presence of potent miasmas emitted by the production.
On 20 December 2019, once all technical and administrative activities were completed with the grid operator, the first parallel with the electricity grid was carried out. The plant thus formally commenced operations on that date.
Start-up began in 2020 and will end with the commissioning and functional testing.
By Executive Determination GR3000-000003 dated 9 August 2021, the Lazio Region authorised a non-substantial variance for remodelling of incoming waste streams, installation of a centrifuge, and installation of a reverse osmosis system.
On 17 August 2021, the Company filed a request for a non-substantial variance for the implementation of a project to convert the existing biogas power plant to a biomethane production facility. In a note dated 3 November 2021, the Lazio Region deemed to classify the variance as substantial, requesting an update of the request, which the Company promptly submitted with updated attachments on 22 November 2021. Currently the process has not progressed. It should be noted that several aspects are causing a cooling in the upgrading assumption: firstly, the current regulatory uncertainty regarding the future application of biomethane incentives and, secondly, the difficulties in negotiations with land owners for a review of the current surface rights.
On 17 September 2021, the GSE was notified of the denial of the request for access to the incentive mechanism for feeding electricity into the grid, due primarily to the merger by incorporation of Kyklos (originally entered on the register) into Acea Ambiente. The Company has appealed this denial to the Regional Administrative Court.
The plant was also subject, during the reporting period, to prescriptions functional to the subsequent admission to the payment of administrative penalties relating to the exceeding of certain limits on composted soil improver with sludge produced in the previous year, the dispute relating to odorous emissions in 2017 (which led to the seizure of the plant, subsequently revoked) and the exceeding of certain acoustic limits found in the year under review. All prescriptive reports were resolved with compliance and admission of payment by subsequent settlement.
During the period under consideration, the functional testing of two significant works carried out at the plant was completed, namely the line for production of SRF from plant surplus, which will enable waste to be delivered to the San Vittore del Lazio plant, and the compost bagging line, which will open up further market outlets for the placement of soil improver.

The plant is authorised on the basis of Integrated Environmental Authorisation no. 2217 of 8 August 2013, valid until 29 October 2022, for an authorised quantity of 99,900 tonnes/year, with Tuscany Region Decree no. 10664. During 2021, further efforts were made to acquire residual treatment capacity in the suspended-biomass biological segment and to make it more efficient in terms of electricity consumption. Replacement of the bed of oxygenators of the second oxidation reactor allowed a significant economic saving. Similarly, evident increased oxidative capacity for the segment allowed an increase in the flow of waste sent for treatment. It was therefore possible to accept a much higher quantity of liquid waste compared to the expected provision in the budget. Already in the previous year, mechanical cleaning of the tank for storage and homogenisation of waste of the biological treatment line was initiated, using mechanical dehydration. The intervention included the installation of a new mechanical mixing system with submersible mixers to replace the previous mixing with compressed air. The plant improvement made it possible to standardise the waste prior to centrifuge dehydration, for greater treatment efficiency, and to minimise potential odour emissions.

Mainly operates, as a joint venture, as a waste intermediary with its Customers/Shareholders belonging to the Acea Group.
During the period of reference, the company consolidated its market position by strengthening its transport activities through the acquisition of vehicles and personnel that now allow the management, at least partially, of the corresponding services.
Aquaser currently wholly or partially performs the service of loading, transport and recovery/disposal of waste from water purification for the companies of the Acea Group. It also manages individual orders related to the service of loading, transportation and recovery/disposal of waste or soil improvers for the company Acea Ambiente, as well as other ancillary activities on behalf of third-party customers (mainly transport services). The recovery activities are carried out through energy recovery, conditioning or composting plants of third parties, and in part at the plants of the parent company, while disposal activities are almost all carried out at treatment plants/landfills of third parties.
With a view to reorganising the Group with reference to the Environment Segment, Acea SpA transferred its shareholding in Aquaser to Acea Ambiente and subsequently Acea Ambiente transferred a 1% stake each in the share capital of Aquaser to Acea Ato5 and Acea Ato2. Therefore, as of today, the Company is 85.29% owned by Acea Ambiente, 1% by Acea SpA, 1% by Acea Ato5 and 1% by Acea Ato2, and by the other minority shareholders, whose equity investments have remained unchanged with respect to the previous year.

Operates in the Water Business, whose main activities are the management, maintenance and construction of plants, and the Milk - Dairy Business, whose main activities are the production of whey powder and the sale of related products for zootechnical and food use and the processing of seroderivatives on behalf of third parties. It should be noted that with reference to this latter business segment, as a result of the strong upturn recorded in the whey market, during the year a boost was given to the processing of this product in a concentrated and crystallised form on behalf of third parties.

Through the management of specific platforms, provides intermediation and liquid waste treatment services to private companies operating both regionally and nationally, as well as activities collateral to those of the integrated water cycle consisting mainly in the recovery and disposal of biological sludge.
The Company carries designs and builds plants mainly related to the treatment of wastewater and sludge and waste in general, as well as the treatment of atmospheric emissions, following up with their subsequent ordinary and extraordinary management, as well as carrying out design, direction and execution of works in the field of environmental clean-up of polluted sites, mainly in the industrial sector. It also performs research and development in the sectors of reference in partnership with research bodies at both a regional and national level. In 2021, the Company’s business activities intended to achieve the objectives and the company mission were implemented and developed further, as were specific activities in coordination with the Parent Company Acea SpA and with the companies belonging to the “Environment” business in order to implement the potential synergies with the various operating areas of the relevant group, with particular reference to the sector for the treatment and disposal of liquid waste and biological sludge in addition to other activities connected to the intermediation of non-hazardous solid and liquid waste.
The initiatives and services historically managed are still fully operational, thus guaranteeing the maintenance of an operating scope mainly in the territory of the Tuscany Region. 2021 was characterised by normal rainfall which guaranteed continuous flows to the platforms.

Carries out its activity in the field of sorting plastic packaging from urban waste collection. It is one of the 33 or so Forced Waste Selection Centres (CSS) that have an agreement with the Corepla Consortium, established by law pursuant to Italian Legislative Decree 22/97 and now regulated by Italian Legislative Decree 152/06, responsible for achieving the recycling and recovery targets for plastic packaging of consumed products.
Separated collection of plastic packaging is regulated at a national level by a framework agreement between Anci and Conai and by the technical annexes concluded between Anci and the individual value chain consortia which, in the case of plastic packaging, provide that collection may be transferred to the sorting centre either selectively (mono-material collection) or jointly (multi-material collection).
Demap carries out its business in compliance with current regulations and is authorised under Italian Legislative Decree 152/06 with procedure issued by the Province of Turin no. 133-25027/2010 of 23 June 2010.
Separated collection of plastic packaging is regulated at a national level by a framework agreement between Anci and Conai and by the technical annexes concluded between Anci and the individual value chain consortia which, in the case of plastic packaging, provide that collection may be transferred to the sorting centre either selectively (mono-material collection) or jointly (multi-material collection).
It should be noted that on 12 December 2021, a fire broke out at the storage shed (known as DEMAP2), located in Beinasco Via Aosta, 16, of waste consisting of plastic packaging from the urban collection of separated fractions, adjacent to the plant and owned by the Company. Although investigations by the Public Prosecutor’s Office are still underway, the accident seems to have originated from a diesel-powered forklift.
On 14 December 2021, Arpat installed a mobile laboratory in order to monitor the evolution of air quality in the areas surrounding the fire over the long term. Firefighting operations on behalf of the fire department took a considerable time. Given the difficulties in extinguishing the fire, although in a decidedly minor and controlled form, the fire continued in the days following the event. Therefore, the fire which started on 12 December and ended — in the phase of possible environmental impact — around 24 December 2021, released dangerous and toxic gases into the atmosphere which led the Municipality of Beinasco to undertake, after consultation with Civil Protection and local health authorities, a series of actions aimed at limiting or at least reducing to the minimum, any possible exposure to the population. These measures were necessary given the levels of contaminants detected in the first hours of intervention on the ground and also confirmed in the days immediately following the fire by monitoring carried out on the ground with portable instruments. About ten days after the development of the fire, in correspondence with a greater atmospheric instability over the whole territory, the concentrations of almost all pollutants measured by the ARPA mobile laboratory returned to the average for the period. In the days immediately following the event, the Company took steps to identify a specialist in the activities of demolition and removal of the burnt material and the partially collapsed shed. With Seizure Decree of 16 December 2021, notified on 20 December 2021 by the NOE of Turin, the evidentiary seizure pursuant to art. 253 c.p.p, of the DEMAP2 shed, of the burnt waste contained therein, of the waste present on the forecourt as well as of the forklift truck from which the fire presumably originated, was ordered. By order of 30 December 2021, notified on 7 January 2022, the Turin Public Prosecutor’s Office authorised the removal of the burnt waste to the COVAR14 depleted landfill in Vinovo, and the demolition of the shed that had already partially collapsed, with controlled disposal of the rubble containing asbestos, attaching certain technical prescriptions to the same. During the week of 14 January 2022, all the verification operations, necessary for the reactivation of the CPI, were carried out in order to allow for, as soon as possible, the complete resumption of activities, after cleaning, mechanical and electrical maintenance. On 2 February, the appointed professional presented to the Fire Department the sworn SCIA with which they reactivated the CPI of DEMAP1. On 16 February 2022, following the necessary testing, the plant resumed regular operation.

operates in the environmental services sector and in particular in the treatment of liquid and solid waste. Pursuant to art. 2428 of the Italian Civil Code, it should be noted that the activities are carried out at the Frosinone plant, where the Storage and Treatment of Hazardous and Non-Hazardous Liquid and Solid Waste is carried out. In terms of authorisation, the plant has an Integrated Environmental Authorisation issued by the Lazio Region with Executive Resolution B0201/09 of 30 January 2009, expiring on 30 January 2025 (duration of 16 years by virtue of the site’s EMAS registration). In May 2021, in accordance with the deadline envisaged by the calendar approved by the Lazio Region, the Company submitted a request to review the Integrated Environmental Authorisation for its adjustment to the BAT Conclusions for waste treatment plants (as per Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2018/1147 of 10 August 2018 of the European Commission). During the year the experimental authorisation pursuant to Art. 211 of Legislative Decree no. 152/06 for the combined pilot plant for the recovery of fly ash, bottom ash and residual sodium carbonate was obtained, with Executive Resolution GI0926/2021 by the Lazio Region, with a duration of 2 years from the date of issue of the acceptance certificate.
Finally, it should be noted that during the period in question, the business trend was more or less in line with the expected results.

2021 was marked by the Covid-19 health emergency, which strongly affected both operations and the market of the segment. The increase in the prices of all raw materials continued for the entire 2021 financial year, due to a combination of market factors which, at a global level, have progressively made it more and more difficult to source and obtain them.
In spite of this, the Company has always operated at full capacity and, despite the fact that the last auction was only partially satisfactory, in an immediately subsequent compensatory auction the remaining quantities of material necessary to cover the plant’s needs were procured.
In 2021, the total amount of material processed in the secondary plastic selection plant was 36,300 tonnes, while the secondary fuel production plant reached the new target of 12,000 tonnes processed in the year.
Thanks to the plurality of authorised sites, it has been possible to make the increase of the total volumes treated compatible, allowing the management of incoming quantities to Ostra that are close to the total limit imposed by the authorisation.
In fact, in order to prevent the saturation of the authorisation limit and the related shutdown of the Ostra plant, a number of important volumes of flows towards other Cavallari sites were re-organised to determine the necessary and sufficient conditions to be able to continue operations at the main Ostra site until 31 December 2021.

Represents a point of reference in the territory, being a platform for the main consortia of the chain such as Comieco (National Consortium for the recovery and recycling of cellulose- based packaging), Corepla (National Consortium for the recovery and recycling of plastic packaging), Rilegno (National Consortium for the recovery and recycling of wood packaging), Ricrea (National Consortium for the recovery and recycling of steel packaging) and Cial (National Consortium for the recovery and recycling of aluminium packaging). In 2021, the Company regularly continued the services referring to existing relationships with companies that manage separate collection through contracts for direct assignment or through tenders. Relations with all value chain consortia also continued regularly, as did the intermediation service for the pulper. It is further noted that from 7 January 2021, the dismantling and assembly works of the new plant for processing plastic bottles began; to date the plant is still being tested.
It should be noted that on 20 February 2022, the plant was affected by a fire that involved a pile of waste from the sorting of separate collection (identified by the code EER 19 12 12), gradually expanding then until it damaged several roofing structures. Later in the same day, the fire was promptly put out. Several ARPA technicians intervened and proceeded to carry out air sampling in order to monitor the quality of this environmental matrix in the circumstances of the site. As the plant was not affected by the fire, it was able to resume regular use as early as 22 February 2022. The causes that produced this event are currently being ascertained and the Company has been involved in requests for documentation, which it has promptly provided, as well as sampling carried out by ARPA Umbria on the partially combusted waste without having to interrupt the plant’s operations.

Operates in the waste sector in Abruzzo and is engaged in the design, construction and management of plants for the treatment, disposal and recovery of municipal solid waste and plants for energy recovery from renewable sources. The scope of the business includes: a Mechanical-Biological Treatment (MBT) plant with an authorised capacity of 270,000 tonnes/year, a photovoltaic plant, a biogas plant and two disposal plants. The Company also holds 100% of Ecologica Sangro a company operating in Abruzzo in the sector of integrated management of solid urban waste.

located in San Giovanni Ilarione in the province of Verona, it operates in the plastic recycling business, a segment which is downstream with respect to that of post-consumption plastic selection in which Acea is already present with the companies Demap and Cavallari.

A company that is currently inactive but which will become a Corepla affiliated centre for secondary plastic SRF recycling (Breakdown of plastics into the various polymer categories for sorting).

Finally, in January 2022, Acea Ambiente acquired 70% of Serplast, which operates in the same business sector as Meg. The Company is located in Cellino Attanasio in the province of Teramo.