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Annual Report 2022

Industry

Although geopolitical influences and soaring energy prices posed challenges, 2022 presented many interesting opportunities for the RINA Industry Business Unit. 

With the investments we have made in services and expertise for decarbonisation and digitalisation, we are now recognised as one of the leading companies in these areas 

We have helped many clients understand and reduce their carbon footprints and worked on many innovative and ground-breaking projects

Racing to reduce emissions

The acceleration of the energy transition means that companies are investing in sustainability and decarbonisation, and our services are well-positioned to support this. One example includes a very important IPCEI project, where we were delighted to receive confirmation of the allocation of funding from the PNRR program to develop a pilot plant for the production of green steel. It will run for years to come and, in the end, will provide us with an open platform and reference for all hard-to-abate industries. 

To the moon and back

While 2022 has been a difficult year, the Space & Defence sector within our business is seeing favourable trends. Although geopolitical events stalled several projects in 2022, these have also resulted in governments increasing defence budgets. 

In our skies, satellites are increasingly being used to monitor CO2 levels, and exciting projects are underway looking into how we can colonise the moon. The moon offers a rich supply of rare raw materials. The Artemis project, for example, involves analysing regolith (the loose, powdery deposits covering the moon) to look for ways to build on the moon without transporting materials and how we can extract oxygen from this resource. Our experience in advanced materials is also being used to develop a tank that is four times lighter than traditional tanks to house hydrogen, significantly reducing the cost of transport into space and bringing the idea of using the resources on the moon a step closer. 

We have gained a small but important project in defence in The Netherlands. This is an important starting point for us in this country and provides us with a reference from which we can grow. 

Helping increase sustainability throughout the world

Decarbonisation and sustainability are key pillars of the RINA business. In our Industry sector, we have had great success in supporting clients, helping them define and submit proposals, to access PNRR funds with our Technology Management Consultancy services. These provide a unique blend of economic and business model skills combined with our engineering excellence. This service grew in 2022, and we hope it will be a crucial success factor for our strategic development in 2023-27. 

We have shown that we are a leader in helping clients reduce their carbon footprint. We help with pathways and strategies but also with our expertise in materials. For example, hydrogen is predicted to be a significant factor in the future energy mix, but its properties mean it accelerates material ageing. Hydrogen can be mixed with methane to reduce emissions in many applications. However, pipelines and component parts, such as valves, need to be rigorously tested to ensure they provide longevity and can contain hydrogen molecules. During 2022, we carried out full-scale, extreme testing of pipelines, which we constructed in a remote location to test how materials perform, including simulation of seismic activity.  

Another example of work to build a sustainable future includes helping clients increase the circularity of their production, for example, helping a luxury yacht manufacturer find alternative materials to resin, which is impossible to recycle. 

Digitalisation

In 2022, we acquired a large contract for a multi-utilities company for a combined solution constituting a data platform and wearable devices for personnel. This enables monitoring the correct wearing of PPE and locates where and how workers move throughout the plant. Named “Safety@Work”, this solution further monitors which processes are running and whether personnel are qualified to be present.  

A new digital platform to help with the digitalisation of legacy machinery that is not natively connected was also launched in 2022. This helps with the pathway to Industry 4.0 and, in Italy, attracts tax credits for our clients.