There is one sentence, in the slides presented by Professor Flavio Manenti of the Politecnico di Milano during the Sardinia Boat Show, that effectively summarises the scale of the project currently taking shape in Gallura: “From waste to resource”. A formula now widely used when discussing the circular economy, but one that in this case takes on a very concrete meaning. Because the idea being developed by CIPNES Gallura - Consorzio Industriale Provinciale Nord Est Sardegna, namely the public body that manages and develops Gallura’s industrial area and several strategic infrastructures in the region - together with the Municipality of Olbia, the Politecnico di Milano and the Sanlorenzo Group – one of the leading players in the international yacht building industry - is to actually transform the organic waste produced in the area into fuel for boating. This is not merely about waste management or energy production. At least according to the intentions of its promoters, the project aims to create a complete industrial supply chain: collection of OFMSW - Organic Fraction of Municipal Solid Waste, namely the biodegradable portion of household waste collected through organic recycling - anaerobic digestion - a biological process through which microorganisms and bacteria break down organic substances in the absence of oxygen, mainly producing biogas. Through a purification process known as upgrading, the biogas is refined into biomethane, a renewable gas with characteristics very similar to fossil methane. The second stage is the project’s most innovative aspect: biomethane is not simply used directly as an energy gas, but transformed into biomethanol, a liquid fuel that can also be used in boating and shipping. Finally, the last stage is its distribution as fuel for the nautical sector. In short, this is a process that connects the urban system, the energy sector and the maritime industry within the same territory.
In the slides presented by Manenti, reference is made to dedicated catalysts, modular plants, patented processes and proprietary know-how. The Politecnico di Milano research team claims to have already developed several technologies protected by European patents and to have gained operational experience on pilot plants active since 2022.
Biomethanol is a renewable and biodegradable fuel characterised by biogenic CO₂ emissions, therefore theoretically climate-neutral. This is because the CO₂ released during fuel use derives from carbon already present in the natural biological cycle. In theory, it does not introduce “new” fossil carbon into the atmosphere, but rather recirculates carbon already existing within the organic cycle. For this reason, it is generally considered climate-neutral or at least less impactful than fossil emissions.
The technical documentation also highlights other aspects: biomethanol is considered particularly interesting because, containing virtually no sulphur, it avoids SOx production and allows cleaner combustion, with lower particulate and soot emissions. Moreover, it can be used both in internal combustion engines and in fuel cells. Naturally, there is still a considerable gap between theory and industrial application. Although the Sardinian project is already underway on the biodigester side, the biomethanol supply chain itself is still at a preliminary stage.
The projected figures, however, help to understand the industrial scale envisaged by the promoters. Initial biomethanol production capacity is estimated at between 3,000 and 6,000 tonnes per year, with potential output exceeding 30,000 tonnes.
Before biomethanol itself, however, comes the issue of the biodigester and its impact on the territory. The Spiritu Santu plant will process approximately 40,000 tonnes per year of organic materials: 20,000 tonnes of OFMSW, 5,000 tonnes of green waste and 15,000 tonnes of animal by-products. Waste will come from the municipalities of Olbia, Arzachena, Budoni, Golfo Aranci, Loiri Porto San Paolo, San Teodoro and other towns in Gallura. During the summer months, when tourist pressure increases significantly, the plant will be able to process up to 150–160 tonnes per day.
Perhaps the most interesting figure concerns the expected energy production. According to CIPNES estimates, the biodigester should produce around 3–3.5 million cubic metres of biomethane per year. A quantity more than 40% higher than the current consumption of Olbia’s urban gas network, today the only methanised city in Sardinia.
The energy surplus is expected to be allocated to the consortium’s industrial district, with the aim of transforming the Olbia industrial area into one of the first European districts powered by renewable energy produced from local waste. The project also includes the revamping of the existing composting plant, financed by the Sardinia Region to comply with European BAT — Best Available Techniques. The goal is to drastically reduce odour emissions and close the organic treatment cycle within a system as integrated as possible.
All this forms part of a broader strategy that Sardinia is attempting to build on both the energy and industrial fronts. In the documentation presented during the Sardinia Boat Show, the Region’s role is described as a possible leader of the “nautical transition”. A deliberately strong definition, reflecting the attempt to turn the island into a laboratory for sustainable blue economy applications.
The starting point is therefore Spiritu Santu, just outside Olbia, where the CIPNES Gallura biodigester is under construction. The plant, financed through PNRR funds and other public support measures, is expected to enter operation shortly, by 2026. Around this infrastructure, however, something broader than a traditional organic waste treatment facility is developing.
Gallura, after all, represents a very particular territory: characterised by strong tourism seasonality, a high concentration of marinas and a growing presence of yachts and superyachts. According to data presented during the Sardinia Boat Show, in 2025 a total of 3,114 different vessels — including super, mega and giga yachts identified through their AIS codes — were recorded anchoring in Gallura waters. The figure is reported to be up by 425 units compared to the same period in 2024, an increase of approximately 16%. It is within this context that the project takes on a different dimension. Because the goal is not simply to produce biomethane for injection into the urban gas grid, but to use that biomethane as the basis for producing biomethanol destined also for the nautical sector.
Over recent years, methanol has become increasingly central to the international debate on the decarbonisation of shipping and yachting. Several industrial players are considering this fuel as a possible alternative to traditional fuels, particularly because of its relative ease of storage compared with other potential energy sources such as hydrogen. Interest is also growing in the superyacht sector, both regarding fuel cells and bi-fuel propulsion architectures. It is therefore no coincidence that the Sanlorenzo Group is among the project partners. The company has long been working on alternative propulsion systems and has already announced the introduction of bi-fuel vessels starting from 2027.
At present, of course, many of the prospects outlined still depend on the ability to transform a technologically advanced concept into a truly operational industrial supply chain. Yet the fact that the issue is being addressed starting from a territory with such a strong nautical vocation as Gallura makes the case particularly interesting for the yachting industry as well. Because here, the energy transition is not presented merely as a theoretical exercise or an abstract industrial strategy. The idea, much more concretely, is to take the waste produced by cities, ports, tourism and boating and bring it back — in the form of energy — into the same economic ecosystem that generated it.
Last but not least, it is worth noting that at the recent fifth edition of the Sardinia Boat Show, the biomethanol theme was not confined solely to theory or academic discussion. Among the exhibitors was Dimsport, a Piedmont-based company belonging to the Deregibus group, historically active in the development of electronic systems and engine solutions. The company has already developed small biomethanol-powered generators for recreational boating and is reportedly starting collaborations with engine manufacturers and yacht and shipbuilders. The topic fits within the broader research path the group is pursuing on alternative fuels and multi-fuel applications. A sign suggesting that around biomethanol — at least in some segments of yachting and marine components — a technological supply chain is already beginning to emerge, looking beyond traditional fuels.