Project brings together complementary energy expertise and industrial commitment to advance long-term sustainability objectives

MILAN, Oct 14, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Genera New Energy and Bracco Imaging today announced the inauguration of a biomethane production facility in Tuscany, Italy. The project represents one of the key initiatives in Bracco's long-term emissions reduction strategy and combines Bracco's direct involvement with Genera New Energy's investment, development and operational capabilities in sustainable energy infrastructure.

Under a Biomethane Purchase Agreement, Bracco will secure access to the renewable gas attributes associated with the facility's full biomethane production through certified Guarantees of Origin.

The annual production is equivalent to approximately 35% of the natural gas currently consumed by the thermal power plant at Bracco's Ceriano Laghetto site to generate steam for manufacturing processes.

Based on the certified renewable gas attributes secured through the Biomethane Purchase Agreement, the project is expected to contribute to the avoidance of approximately 8,000 tonnes of CO₂ equivalent per year associated with steam generation activities over the next 15 years.

Bracco included biomethane in its 2024 emissions reduction roadmap as a solution expected to contribute to reducing greenhouse gas emissions associated with steam generation. In March 2025, the company entered into a co-development and co-investment agreement with Genera New Energy to convert the existing Greenway facility. Conversion work began in March 2025 and was completed in September 2026.

Genera Group is the industrial and majority investment partner in the project, combining financial, development and operational capabilities across the biomethane value chain. Through Genera New Energy S.p.A. Società Benefit, the Group has invested alongside Bracco in the conversion of the facility and led its development, while Greenway Srl is responsible for its operation.

"This project is an important step in our efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions associated with our manufacturing, turning our sustainability strategy into concrete action while advancing the transformation of our industrial operations. Our direct involvement in the development of the facility from the beginning of the project and the fruitful collaboration with our partner Genera New Energy enabled us to successfully match our targets in terms of cost and timing," said Marco Lupi, Head of Global Technical Operations, Bracco Imaging.

"This achievement reflects the extensive and long-term collaboration between multidisciplinary teams across both companies in a pioneering sector shaped by an evolving regulatory framework," added Emiliano Di Penta, Energy Management Director, Bracco Imaging.

The project builds on Bracco's broader sustainability program, which includes many initiatives to improve energy generation and to reduce energy consumption and emissions across all its operations. In July 2026, Bracco Imaging received its second consecutive EcoVadis Platinum Medal, the highest level of recognition awarded by EcoVadis, placing the company among the top 1% of companies assessed by EcoVadis over the assessment period (12 months).

"This project embodies Genera's mission: actively supporting our clients in their reduction of greenhouse gas emissions while enhancing energy security and long-term cost competitiveness. We are proud to have invested in and developed this project alongside Bracco, and grateful to them for choosing Genera as their long-term partner," said Paolo Potenza, Chief Executive Officer, Genera New Energy. 

"Following the completion of the facility, we are now entering the operational phase, ensuring reliable, efficient and long-lasting performance while creating value for the local area. This is our way of making a tangible contribution to Bracco's forward-looking emissions reduction strategy," said Valentina Crivellari, Chief Operating Officer, Genera New Energy.

In accordance with applicable regulatory requirements, the facility uses agricultural by-products, livestock manure and energy crops as feedstocks. Digestate produced through the process is intended for agricultural applications, supporting more efficient use of local resources.

This milestone reflects Bracco's continued commitment to emissions reduction across its industrial operations.

About Bracco

Bracco group, founded in 1927, is a global leader in diagnostic imaging, committed to advancing healthcare and improving people's lives by shaping the future of prevention and precision medicine.

The company operates in the healthcare sector across more than 100 countries with a workforce of over 4,000 employees and consolidated annual revenues of approximately €2 billion, 88% generated by international markets.

With a strong commitment to innovation - investing around 9% of its reference turnover in Research & Development - Bracco develops and provides a broad portfolio of pharmaceutical products for diagnostic imaging, including contrast agents for X-ray, Computed Tomography (CT), and Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), as well as microbubbles for Contrast Enhanced Ultrasound (CEUS), and Molecular Imaging through radioactive tracers and novel PET imaging agents, alongside AI-based solutions. It is also a global market leader in advanced contrast management technologies for cardiovascular angiography and radiology imaging.

Discover more at www.bracco.com.

About Genera New Energy S.p.A. Società Benefit

Genera is an Italian energy services company operating in the energy transition sector, specializing in the development, construction, and management of energy infrastructure. The Group takes a long-term industrial approach, combining financial, technical, and operational expertise with the goal of contributing to energy transition and emissions reduction through investments in sustainable energy solutions.

The Genera Group is owned by the SUSI Energy Transition Fund (OECD), an investment fund managed by Gresham House, a UK-based manager specializing in alternative assets.

Biomethane production and management complement the energy solutions that Genera offers to industrial and residential customers—both public and private—in support of the decarbonization, sustainability, and energy security goals that are at the heart of the Group's mission.

Discover more at www.generagroup.it.

Media Contacts:

Bracco Press Contact

Alessandra Vulpiani

Bracco Imaging, Senior Marketing Communication Manager

Alessandra.Vulpiani@bracco.com

Genera Group Press Contact

Tiziana Del Colle

Genera, Marketing & Communication Manager

t.delcolle@generagroup.it

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/bracco-imaging-and-genera-new-energy-inaugurate-biomethane-facility-to-support-industrial-emissions-reduction-302907685.html

Die Exzellenzstrategie von Bund und Ländern stellt die Weichen für die nächste Förderperiode – und verschiebt die Gewichte im deutschen Wissenschaftssystem. Zu den bundesweit fünf neuen Exzellenzstandorten gehören die Technische Universität Darmstadt, die Goethe-Universität Frankfurt und die Johannes Gutenberg-Universität Mainz, die sich als Allianz der Rhein-Main-Universitäten (RMU) durchgesetzt haben. Ebenfalls erfolgreich waren in Nordrhein-Westfalen die Universität zu Köln sowie der Verbund Ruhr Innovation Lab aus TU Dortmund und Ruhr-Universität Bochum.

Für Hessen ist die Entscheidung ein Durchbruch: Erstmals tragen Universitäten des Landes ab 2027 den Titel „Exzellenzuniversität“. Die RMU-Allianz erhält nach Angaben des hessischen Wissenschaftsministeriums über sieben Jahre eine Förderung von insgesamt bis zu 155 Millionen Euro, finanziert zu 75 Prozent vom Bund. Wissenschaftsminister Timon Gremmels spricht von den ersten Exzellenzunis in Hessen und zugleich vom ersten länderübergreifenden Verbund in der Exzellenzstrategie. Ministerpräsident Boris Rhein bezeichnet den Titel als Meilenstein für die Forschungslandschaft des Landes. Ein mittelhessischer Verbund aus den Universitäten Gießen und Marburg blieb im Wettbewerb dagegen ohne Erfolg.

Auch Nordrhein-Westfalen stärkt seine Rolle als Hochburg der Spitzenforschung. Neben der Universität Köln, die den begehrten Status nach einer früheren Förderphase von 2012 bis 2019 zurückerhält, steigt der Verbund aus TU Dortmund und Ruhr-Uni Bochum als Ruhr Innovation Lab in den Kreis der Exzellenzuniversitäten auf. Nach Angaben des Düsseldorfer Wissenschaftsministeriums baut das Land damit seine Führungsposition aus. Die Universität Bonn und die RWTH Aachen hatten ihren Exzellenzstatus bereits im Frühjahr verteidigt, sodass NRW künftig mit vier Standorten vertreten ist. Ministerpräsident Hendrik Wüst wertet dies insbesondere als Signal für die internationale Sichtbarkeit des Ruhrgebiets als Wissenschafts- und Innovationsstandort.

In Bonn gaben Bundesforschungsministerin Dorothee Bär und der niedersächsische Wissenschaftsminister Falko Mohrs als Vize-Vorsitzender der Gemeinsamen Wissenschaftskonferenz (GWK) neben den Standorten in Hessen und NRW auch die Universitäten Freiburg und Jena als neue Exzellenzunis bekannt. Für Einzeluniversitäten sieht das Programm Fördermittel von bis zu 15 Millionen Euro pro Jahr vor, bei Verbünden wie der Rhein-Main-Allianz oder dem Ruhr Innovation Lab können es bis zu 28 Millionen Euro sein. Damit wächst die Riege der Exzellenzuniversitäten, deren bisher neun Standorte – darunter Aachen, Bonn, Dresden, Hamburg, Heidelberg, Karlsruhe, München, Tübingen sowie die Berlin University Alliance – ihre Förderung bereits im Frühjahr um weitere sieben Jahre verlängert hatten. Der Titel ist jeweils an regelmäßige Überprüfungen der Fördervoraussetzungen geknüpft.