Italian state-controlled gas grid operator Snam has signed an exclusivity agreement with the shareholders of Higas, paving the way for the potential acquisition of 100% of the company and the conversion of its existing LNG coastal storage facility in Oristano into an FSRU.
Once completed, the Oristano FSRU would allow regasified natural gas to be injected into the island’s upcoming transmission network, supplying industrial and thermoelectric hubs in central and southern Sardinia, as well as residential consumers across Cagliari, Oristano, Medio Campidano, and Sulcis Iglesiente.
According to Snam, the planned conversion would increase the site’s storage capacity roughly tenfold compared with current levels.
The exclusivity period will allow both sides to carry out technical, regulatory, and financial assessments before a final investment decision is made. If realised, the project would be the first FSRU-based facility in Sardinia.
Snam already owns and manages the Piombino FSRU on Italy’s west coast, which began operations in 2023, and is developing a second unit in Ravenna, set to enter service this year.
