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PPEC (Consumption Efficiency Promotion Plan) is a programme to support and encourage the implementation of measures to improve energy consumption efficiency in the Residential, Services and Industry and Agriculture sectors. Targeted at network operators, energy suppliers and other entities, the 7th edition of this programme included gas consumption for the first time. 

The project presented by Floene in the scope of PPEC, entitled “Roadmap for the Introduction of Renewable Gases in the Industrial Sector”, was awarded first place in the intangible measures category.

The Roadmap developed by Floene aims to create positive momentum in the industry’s adaptation to the transition to renewable gases – with emphasis on hydrogen – including the identification of the sector’s needs, provision of technical-scientific content and training courses in order to simplify the transition to more sustainable and efficient solutions. Floene is especially empowered by the knowhow and experience of its nine distribution network operators (ORDs), located from the north to the south of the country, to support the industrial sector in this process.

The Roadmap will promote an increase in energy efficiency, motivated by the use of more efficient equipment and adaptation of consumption, also fostering the reduction of internal spending on the fossil fuels used.

The Floene group also presented another winning project in the PPEC, through its subsidiary Lisboagás, in partnership with Portgás and Sonorgás. These are two tangible measures in the residential sector: the scrapping of energy-inefficient equipment and its replacement with more efficient equipment. These measures will support the purchase of more efficient equipment to replace old equipment, at competitive costs for households, at a time when greater efficiency in gas consumption by households will bring significant environmental and economic gains. The measures serve as a lever to combat energy poverty.

Measures financed under the Plan for Promoting Energy Efficiency in Efficiency in Energy Consumption, approved by ERSE – Energy Services Regulatory Authority.

On 7 March 2023, Floene took a historic step along the path of energy transition and decarbonisation of the Portuguese economy. In the presence of the Prime Minister, António Costa, Green Hydrogen was officially introduced into the gas distribution network in Portugal, more specifically in the municipality of Seixal. The “The Natural Energy of Hydrogen” project is supplying a group of 82 residential, tertiary and industrial customers and will serve as an example for other projects at the national level. 

After a test phase, these customers were officially supplied with a mixture of Green Hydrogen and Natural Gas, increasing the percentage of Green Hydrogen (H₂) up to a maximum of 20%. The H₂ is produced locally using 100% renewable energy, in the Seixal Industrial Park, by the Portuguese company Gestene. After being produced and stored, the H₂ travels 1,400 metres in a polyethylene pipeline, as is used in about 95% of the gas network used in Portugal, to a station where it is mixed with natural gas and then distributed to customers.

“The Natural Energy of Hydrogen” is a project financed by the Environmental Fund (EF), and has been developed and tested since 2021 with great success.

“The introduction of renewable gases, such as biomethane and, in this case, hydrogen, into the gas distribution network is the priority and a commitment of Floene, in line with the national and European objectives of decarbonisation, reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and diversification of the energy mix,” said the Chairman of Floene’s Board of Directors, Diogo da Silveira.

“The moment when the Prime Minister started the H₂ mix was the “H Hour” of the transition to the energy of the future in Portugal, with a high impact on energy self-sufficiency, economic development, reduction of energy bills and environmental conservation,” said Floene CEO, Gabriel Sousa.

In addition to opening the valve, which marked the beginning of the injection of green hydrogen into the gas network, a stove fed by the new mixture was also used to demonstrate the suitability of current domestic equipment for the use of H_2. This also highlighted the principle of complementarity between gas and electrical systems in the decarbonisation process.

The Floene network, as one of Europe’s most modern, about 96% polyethylene in structure, is also prepared to receive renewable gases without needing adaptation or additional investment, which constitutes an important added value for implementing the strategy of decarbonising infrastructure and the economy.

“The Natural Energy of Hydrogen” has as institutional partners the Seixal City Council and the Environmental Fund, and as technical partners Bosch, Catim, Gestene, ISQ, PRF, the Higher Technical Institute and Portuguese Association for the Promotion of Hydrogen – HP2H.

Learn more about the project here.

Floene’s membership in the BCSD reflects the Company’s commitment to promoting an increasingly sustainable business model, aligned with the best corporate management practices and the creation of long-term value.

Floene recognizes the importance of sharing information with all its stakeholders, and subscribes to the Charter of Principles of BCSD Portugal, which establishes guidelines for good corporate management, based on six principles: legal compliance and ethical conduct; human rights; labor rights; prevention, health, and safety; environment and management.

In this way, the Company is committed to developing an integrated approach to the management of environmental, social, and governance performance, on a journey that aims to be increasingly transparent, systematically demonstrating its contribution to the Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations and aligned with the strategy of the European Union and Portugal.

Floene is a founding member of GD4S (Gas Distribution for Sustainability), the association that brings together the main gas distribution operators in eight European countries. As the leading gas distribution company in Portugal, Floene subscribes to the Sustainability Charter of this entity entitled “Decarbonisation of the gas network as a key element of a climate-neutral society”, which defines the collective approach and transversal commitments of the association’s members to the three pillars of Sustainability – Environmental, Social and Governance – contributing to the European goal of carbon neutrality by 2050.

This partnership and commitment constitute another important step in Floene’s journey towards sustainable growth, reflecting its commitment to be an essential player in the energy transition in Portugal and the EU.