Utonomy signs contract with Nedgia for intelligent pressure control solution

Following the signing in August 2026, Utonomy will implement its progressive control solution as a pilot at Igualada, a network in Barcelona. The project is jointly promoted by Nedgia's innovation team and Naturgy's Corporate Innovation unit.

Utonomy's UtonomyOne solution, using the SB100 actuators suitable for a low-pressure network, will be deployed in a retrofit capacity on Pietro Fiorentini pressure regulators at the network stations. In advance of this, newly-released product Umonitor, Utonomy's intelligent pressure monitoring solution, will be installed at four strategic locations to provide data-generated insights into network health - with autonomous anomaly detection and alerts. The project will encompass a phased approach, next employing remote pressure set-point control using Ucontrol and Uconnect, before installing new intelligent gas grid product, Upredict, which uses machine-learning to optimise pressure in the network and minimise leakage, with documented methane reduction of up to 25%, based on Utonomy projects to date.

The objectives of the project are threefold:

• Environmental: facilitate reduction of gas leakage and methane emissions by controlling and reducing the average system pressures in the network.
• Digitalisation & automation: enable remote monitoring and control of pressure reduction stations.
• Green gases integration: facilitate the integration of green gases into the distribution network through dynamic pressure management, increasing the network's flexibility to accommodate future injections.

The six-month pilot will comprise an initial two-month phase for equipment installation and data generation, followed by four months of operation and validation under real network conditions. Beyond the technological validation, the project will assess the potential of remote control and continuous monitoring of pressure reduction stations to automate tasks currently performed manually, helping to optimise network management and potentially deliver significant operational efficiencies. Based on the results of the pilot, Nedgia will then assess the potential scalability of the solution to other pressure levels across its distribution network.

Digitalisation and methane emissions reduction

Gas networks are under increasing pressure to modernise their networks, in order to make them both environmentally sustainable and economically efficient. Technologies such as the UtonomyOne solution provide a straightforward, cost-effective solution to achieve a higher level of performance on any gas grid, using its retrofit facility.

Alison Ireland, Head of International Relations at Utonomy, said: "We are delighted to have signed this contract with Nedgia, and are excited to be now planning the installation together. We hope to become a key partner for Nedgia as they embrace leading innovation to equip their gas grid for the intelligent energy future, and that this project will be seen as a shining light in European gas distribution network development."

Jose Manuel Perez Tejada, Head of Innovation at Nedgia, said: "This pilot represents another step forward in the digitalisation and intelligent management of our distribution network. By dynamically adapting pressure to actual network needs, we aim to assess how this technology can help us reduce fugitive emissions, optimise field operations, and increase the flexibility of our infrastructure to facilitate the integration of green gases. The project in Igualada will allow us to test the solution in real operating conditions and evaluate its potential scalability across our network."

The Utonomy suite of actuators is compatible with a wide range of regulators with a wide range of outlet pressures; they are ATEX Zone 0 certified, and suitable for new and retrofit installations across Europe.

Read the article online at: https://www.worldpipelines.com/contracts-and-tenders/12102026/utonomy-signs-contract-with-nedgia-for-intelligent-pressure-control-solution/