Cycle0, a European company that develops and operates biomethane plants, has announced a major investment in Italy with the purchase of an operating biogas power plant that is being converted to biomethane production in the Lombardy region, reports Bioenergy Insight.
The plant, Corte Pila, is located in Mantua Province and has been in operation since 2012. It has an installed power capacity of 1 MW and uses about 47,000 tonnes of agricultural feedstock each year, mainly slurry, manure and silage, to generate electricity. Approval to shift from electricity generation to biomethane production was granted in 2024, and the conversion is now at an advanced stage.
Once the transition is complete, the plant is expected to produce an average of 44 GWh of biomethane annually from mid-2026. The gas will be injected directly into a new connection point on the national gas grid, which is also being developed as part of Cycle0’s broader investment plans in Italy. The company said its total investment in the country could reach up to €100 million.
Cycle0 will operate the plant with the continued involvement of its previous owner, Franco Angeli, who first developed the renewable energy project at the site. Angeli will join the management board of Corte Pila. The existing operating team will also remain in place, helping ensure stable operations and continued waste management services for nearby farms.
The plant supports local economic activity while producing renewable gas that contributes to Italy’s shift towards cleaner energy. It also provides a long-term solution for managing agricultural waste in the surrounding area.
The acquisition follows Cycle0’s announcement last year that it would build its first biomethane plant in Italy after securing support through the country’s fifth GSE auction. That facility, currently under construction in Pontinia in the Lazio region, is expected to be completed by mid-2026.
Together, the Pontinia plant and Corte Pila are expected to produce up to 90 GWh of renewable gas each year, equal to about 8 million standard cubic metres. This would be enough to cover the average gas needs of around 6,000 Italian households.
With this latest move, Cycle0’s portfolio of plants planned or operating across Europe has grown to nine. These include seven operational sites in Spain, spread across Catalonia, Navarra, Castilla-La Mancha and Galicia. The company also owns and operates Spain’s first privately run gas grid injection point, located in Catalonia.
Commenting on the expansion, Cycle0 chief executive Laurence Molke said the company is pleased to strengthen its investment in Italy through the Corte Pila acquisition. He said the project supports Cycle0’s aim of becoming a leading biomethane producer in Europe and builds on a renewable energy vision started by the local farming community more than 15 years ago.
