Antonio Nicotra – Biography
Antonio
Nicotra (1950, Doctor in Organic Chemistry by the University of Catania,
1973 “summa cum laude”) is expert in energy systems and specialist in Oil
& Gas, with over 50 years of activity in the fossil & renewable fuels
sectors, always aiming at optimizing energy sustainability on “well-to-wheel”
basis and on the progressive replacement of fossil fuels with the corresponding
molecules of biological/renewable origin, to achieve the “net-zero”
goal of “carbon-neutrality” of greenhouse gases emissions, with Energy
in balance with Climate by 2050 according to the EU Green Deal and COP28.
He is
also focusing on most efficient & sustainable final applications of energy
such as micro-turbines for electricity and hydrogen fuel cells.
Before
retiring in 2017, AN was the Head of the "LNG for
Transport" activities of the Gasfin Group (2008-2017), a private
Luxembourg holding company, reference shareholder of TGE Gas Engineering
GmbH and TGE Marine Gas Engineering SA (specialized in LNG engineering
& construction of LNG Terminals and LNG carriers) and promoter of
innovative solutions for the production, transport and use of LNG for
smaller energy centres (SS-LNG) not reachable by the gas pipeline network and
for all types of mobility: maritime, land by road or rail and aviation.
In
2016-2017, he was also President and Partner of Liquimet S.p.A.,
a company of the Gasfin Group established in 2016 in Italy to develop and build
a network of LNG refuelling infrastructures in the transport strategic hubs
(Ports & Interports) of the Italian TEN-T
corridors. The first implementation was the LCNG refuelling station of the Interporto di Padova, which receives the LNG in 40ft
ISO-containers by train directly from Rotterdam.
AN is
currently COO and 5% Shareholder of Olbia LNG Terminal Srl,(www.olbialng.com) a company
established in December 2019 for providing Natural Gas to Olbia and to the
North East of Sardinia (Gallura – Costa Smeralda).
In
summer 2020, AN launched the “Olbia EnerClima2050” (www.OlbiaEnerClima.eu) integrated Project based
on the biogenic Carbon Cycle for shaping the energy sector of the
territory towards the carbon neutrality, as requested by the European Green
Deal and CO28 by 2050.
The
Project consists in a 40,000m3 LNG > LBM Terminal, a
180MW CCPP and an Algae Crop, for an initial
decarbonization stage based on fossil-LNG “transition fuel” for the replacement
of coal and oil with clean-gas for Power and Mobility, and, subsequently, the
progressive replacement of fossil-LNG with “renewable” bio-LNG (Liquid Bio
Methane: LBM) sourced by an integrated virtuous circular CCU economy: whereby
the CO2 released by the exhausts of the power plant gas turbines are cooled (to
vaporize LNG/LBM) and recycled into an Algae plantation; relevant biomass residues
are converted into biogas, upgraded into bio-methane, injected into the local
gas-grid and liquefied at the Olbia LNG Terminal, where LNG/LBM is stored, regasified
ad fed once again to the gas turbines … to repeat this virtuous Carbon Cycle
inexhaustibly … achieving the target of generating useful energy from
solar energy in balance with the environment.
The LNG>LBM
Terminal and the relevant Combined Cycle Power Plant also act as “strategic
energy storage” and “peak-shaving/load-levelling” units to provide
a one month strategic storage to the territory and to balance the fluctuations
of power supply/demand sourced by the other intermittent renewable energy
sources (photovoltaic, wind and hydro).
The
Project obtained the NOF (feasibility safety clearance) by the Regional
Technical Committee on January 4th 2023, and it is currently
finalizing the Ministerial Environmental and Health Impact Assessment (VIA-VIS)
approval required to obtain permits to build.
This “LNG-transition”
to “LBM-destination” energy transition concept could be repeated in
any territory worldwide, possibly integrated in a bio-refinery producing
bio-ethanol (E85-E90) biodiesel and HVO (B100) and green-hydrogen sourced by
biomass gasification, which is more sustainable (1:1 self-sustaining
energy) than green-hydrogen sourced by water electrolysis (3:1 external energy,
heavily effecting the grid capacity and stability).
Previously,
AN held various position in the Suez-Tractebel (2003-2008), Enimont (1991-1997), Foskor (1984-1991) and
ENI (1973-1984) Groups, in Italy and abroad.
AN has also been a member of several LNG-related Institutions
& Associations:
-
ILNAS Delegate (Luxembourg
Institute of Standardization) for CEN-TC 326 (European Technical
Committee for: “Natural Gas Vehicles - Fuelling and Operations” for the implementing
the European Standards for NG Vehicles refuelling stations and operation; he
was coordinator of the 5th working group related to use and
operation of LNG vehicles).
-
Member of the IGU
WOC5.3 (International Gas Union, 5.3 Working Committee for Use of Gas in
Natural Gas Vehicles).
-
Coordinator of NGVA Europe for the “Working
Group LNG and L-CNG Stations”.
-
Consulting for the
implementation of the GAINN_IT initiative of the Italian Ministry of
Transports (LNG infrastructure for transport in accordance with Italian Decree Dgls 257 and European DAFI Directive 2014/94/EU,
co-financed under the European CEF 2014-2019 program).
-
Consulting to
Assocostieri (current).