Many doubts surrounding CO₂ transport and storage, in Italy and abroad
13 October 2026 – 5.00–6.30 pm
Last January, the Italian government granted environmental approval for the CCS Pianura Padana (Po Valley CCS project). One hundred kilometres of pipelines to transport CO₂ are merely the first step in a larger project, promoted by Eni and Snam, which will see the area between Ferrara and Ravenna become the main hub of a ‘Mediterranean hub’ for the capture, transport and storage of CO₂, known as Callisto.
These infrastructure will carry up to 4 million tonnes of CO₂ per year in Phase 2 of the project, and up to 16 in the following ones, produced by polluting industries in the Po Valley and even from France, before injecting it into depleted gas fields in the northern Adriatic, off the coast of Ravenna.
But in addition to questions about whether or not the project should be funded with public money and about its actual effectiveness, we must take into account the track record of similar projects, which has been marked by accidents and risks to human health and ecosystems. This is the case with the nearly 1,500-kilometre ‘carbon pipeline’ running through Louisiana, Texas and Mississippi, operated by ExxonMobil. Snam, the promoter of the CCS Pianura Padana, claims that the likelihood of a rupture in a pipeline of this type is minimal; yet, in the case of this pipeline in the US, it has already happened twice: in Satartia in February 2020 and in Sulphur in April 2024.
What caused these ruptures? What happened when the CO₂ was released into the environment? What was the impact on people’s health and the environment? What were the response protocols for people exposed to the release following the incident, and what were the protocols for emergency responders?
We discuss this with:
- James Hiatt, Movement for a Better Bayou (Louisiana)
- Jerry Briggs, Emergency Services, Fire/EMS Coordinator, Warren County (Mississippi)
- Elena Gerebizza, ReCommon
Moderator:
- Alex Giuzio – journalist
In collaboration with RealZeroEurope
