Tokyo – Italgas and Tokyo Gas Network renewed their Memorandum of Understanding on May 12 at the Italian Embassy in Tokyo, reinforcing cooperation in strategic areas of gas distribution and promoting the development of joint projects. The agreement was signed by Paolo Gallo and Satoshi Tanazawa in the presence of Italy’s Ambassador to Tokyo, Mario Vattani. “We are very pleased to host the renewal of the collaboration between Italgas and Tokyo Gas Network at the Italian Embassy in Tokyo, in the year marking the 160th anniversary of bilateral diplomatic relations,” Ambassador Vattani said. “In the current geopolitical context, this agreement represents a further step towards greater energy security and contributes to strengthening supply chains, in the spirit of the Special Strategic Partnership announced by the two governments in January 2026 and in line with the directives of the Italy-Japan Business Group, of which Italgas is a founding member”. “We are honoured to have reached an agreement to further strengthen our strategic partnership with Italgas, Europe’s leading gas distributor,” said Tanazawa. “Their advanced expertise in digitalisation will be a key driver in enhancing our operational capabilities. Through the continued exchange of know-how, we aim to improve operational efficiency and productivity while fulfilling our mission to ensure a stable energy supply and maintain high safety standards. Through this collaboration, we are committed to achieving sustainable growth in our infrastructure business and contributing to the evolution of a resilient energy infrastructure”. “The international exchange of expertise and collaboration with leading partners are fundamental elements of our growth strategy,” added Gallo. “Renewing our agreement with Tokyo Gas Network strengthens a valuable relationship and allows us to further accelerate the development of increasingly digital, resilient and sustainable networks. In particular, this cooperation enables us to combine complementary expertise in key areas such as advanced infrastructure digitalisation, resilience in complex environments, and the evolution of networks capable of integrating growing shares of renewable gases”. Through the memorandum, the two companies will continue to share expertise and best practices to foster innovation, resilience and the sustainable development of gas distribution networks. The collaboration will focus in particular on infrastructure resilience and safety, technological innovation and digitalisation, and supply-chain development. (9colonne)