Wedoany.com Report-Dec.12, Italy's gas transmission operator Snam announced on Thursday that it will acquire a 48.2% stake in the OLT Offshore LNG Toscana terminal, located off the coast of Livorno in Tuscany. The transaction will raise Snam's ownership in the floating regasification facility to 97.3%.

Snam will pay €126 million ($147 million) to infrastructure fund Igneo for the stake. The deal is expected to close in the first half of 2026, pending regulatory approval.

The OLT terminal has an annual regasification capacity of approximately 5 billion cubic metres and is one of Italy's five operational LNG import facilities. Snam already holds controlling or co-controlling interests in all regulated onshore and offshore LNG terminals in the country and plans to develop an additional hub in Sardinia.

Between January and November this year, Italy imported 18.7 billion cubic metres of liquefied natural gas, covering about one-third of national gas demand. In the first nine months of 2025, LNG imports increased by nearly 40% compared with the same period in 2024.

"This transaction is... crucial in strengthening Snam's leadership in the LNG business, which today plays a strategic role in guaranteeing Italy's energy security," Snam Chief Executive Agostino Scornajenchi said in a statement.

The acquisition further consolidates Snam's position in Italy's LNG infrastructure at a time when the superchilled fuel has become a key role in diversifying the country's natural gas supply sources.