Confindustria participated in the ARERA Consultation 135/2026/R/gas, concerning the implementation of the Prime Ministerial Decree of 10 September 2025 on works and infrastructure necessary for the phasing out the use of coal in Sardinia and the decarbonisation of the island’s industrial sectors.

In its submission, Confindustria welcomed the Authority’s guidelines, emphasising the importance of a swift and consistent implementation of the Prime Ministerial Decree and acknowledging that the the development of the natural gas sector in Sardinia and to the virtual pipeline a strategic role in bridging the infrastructure gap that has historically put the island at a disadvantage compared with the rest of the country.

In particular, Confindustria has emphasised how access to natural gas can help to strengthen the competitiveness of Sardinia’s manufacturing sector, reducing energy costs for businesses and consumers, encouraging the gradual replacement of higher-emission fuels and creating more favourable conditions for industrial growth, attracting new investment and revitalising the region’s main industrial hubs.

Confindustria also highlighted the need for the the development of energy infrastructure is carried out in accordance with criteria of efficiency, sustainability and flexibility, taking into account changes in demand, the island’s specific geographical characteristics, and considerations relating to security, adequacy and industrial development. Within this framework, the virtual pipeline and local networks could also serve as an enabler for the future integration of renewable gases, such as biomethane and green hydrogen.

From a regulatory perspective, Confindustria has highlighted the need to establish a clear, certain and comprehensive framework, with particular attention to the affordability of tariffs for the manufacturing sector and for consumers, and to the minimisation of distortions of competition, the neutrality of infrastructure and market operators, and the possibility of recovering the efficient costs directly associated with the implementation of the new regulatory framework.

The importance of to integrate Sardinia into the single national balancing area, clearly defining the operational mechanisms relating to allocations, capacity, TIB and settlement, as well as ensuring the gradual alignment of the Sardinian retail market with the safeguards and conditions in force in the rest of the country.

For further details, please refer to the attached document.