Energy Audit pursuant to Legislative Decree 102/2014 for Neutalia S.r.l.
Neutalia S.r.l. is a benefit company established on 30 June 2021, whose shareholders include AGESP S.p.A. (environmental hygiene operator of Busto Arsizio), AMGA S.p.A./ALA S.r.l. Group (public services operator for the Alto Milanese area) and CAP Group (integrated water service provider for the Metropolitan City of Milan). The company manages the Borsano waste-to-energy plant in Busto Arsizio (Varese).
As a large enterprise, Neutalia S.r.l. falls within the entities required to prepare an energy audit pursuant to Legislative Decree 102/2014. Under this Decree, a company qualifies as a large enterprise if it employs at least 250 people or exceeds an annual turnover of 50 million euro or a total balance sheet of 43 million euro.
The energy audit prepared refers to Neutalia S.r.l.’s production site in Busto Arsizio (VA), which operates a waste-to-energy plant. The process involves thermal treatment of waste with energy recovery for the generation of electricity supplied to the national grid. A waste-to-energy plant recovers energy from waste that cannot be recycled or otherwise reused. At Neutalia S.r.l., both municipal solid waste and special hospital waste are treated.
The plant is authorised to process up to 110’000 tonnes of waste per year and produces approximately 10.2 MegaWatt of electrical power. It also generates steam at a temperature of 380° and a pressure of 40 bar. The waste-to-energy plant treats the following types of waste, which cannot be otherwise recycled: municipal solid waste and similar waste; special hospital waste; bulky waste.
Since 19 July 2014, Legislative Decree 102/2014 has been in force, establishing the obligation for large enterprises and energy-intensive companies to carry out an energy audit every 4 years. An energy audit examines the energy condition of a production company, identifying technically feasible and economically advantageous measures to increase efficiency. An energy audit is based on the following phases: initial data acquisition (activities, processes, consumption by energy carrier, plant inventory), division into functional areas and analysis of consumption through energy models (electrical and thermal).
The models assess specific consumption based on equipment power and usage profiles. These are calibrated using measured data, with the ultimate objective of proposing efficiency measures supported by estimates of savings, costs and expected payback periods. An energy audit conducted within a production company aims to define the current energy performance status and to identify energy retrofitting measures to be promoted in order to enhance energy efficiency, with emphasis on actions that are both technically feasible and economically viable.
Neutalia S.r.l.’s core activities revolve around the circular economy and ecological transition, with a focus on the sustainable treatment of urban waste. The plant thermally treats non-recyclable waste to produce electricity and thermal energy, recovering secondary raw materials and reducing environmental impact.
In particular, two waste-to-energy lines are in operation, treating residual waste and generating energy vectors supplied to local district heating networks (Busto Arsizio and Legnano), while minimising CO2 emissions through optimised logistics and the reuse of existing infrastructure without additional land consumption. The company also provides related services such as management of the waste transfer station, loading, transport and disposal of boiler ash, with a strong focus on innovation, research and collaboration with universities.
THE ROLE OF TERRARIA
TerrAria, drawing on extensive experience in energy efficiency and energy management, carries out Energy Audits for production and energy-intensive companies across all phases, starting from preliminary analyses, definition of the audit scope and data acquisition. This is followed by on-site inspections, consumption analysis, development of energy models, calculation of energy performance indicators, assessment of measures and preparation of the audit report.
Specifically, in the case of Neutalia S.r.l., the site energy audit enabled the calculation of energy performance indicators for both electricity and natural gas on a monthly basis, assessing site efficiency in terms of the energy contribution of the treated waste. Furthermore, it was possible to estimate and recommend specific efficiency measures to Neutalia S.r.l. in order to improve performance and overall energy efficiency at the analysed site, including enhancement of the monitoring system, relamping through installation of LED lamps and expansion of the photovoltaic system.
