The GIANT Project: AI-Driven Optimization of Cathodic Protection in Gas Networks (C2026-00103)

Ivano Magnifico, Tommaso Russo

Gas distribution networks face growing challenges in environmental sustainability, operational efficiency, financial constraints, safety assurance. Among critical processes supporting network integrity is Impressed Current Cathodic Protection (ICCP), which protects buried pipelines from corrosion. While ICCP systems consume energy and contribute to CO₂ emissions, their role in preventing structural degradation and gas leaks makes them indispensable from safety perspectives.
The GIANT Project (Gas Integrated and Automated Network Technology) introduces modernized approach to CP management by integrating remote sensing technologies, centralized data processing, and remote-controlled infrastructure. At the core lies an artificial intelligence engine enabling dynamic regulation of CP current based on real-time monitoring data and contextual analysis.
This AI-driven regulation achieves significant energy savings by optimizing rectifier output while ensuring full compliance with protection standards, enhancing environmental performance by minimizing unnecessary current injection and reducing associated emissions.
Additionally, GIANT supports predictive maintenance through continuous analysis of field conditions, early fault detection, automatic execution of corrective actions. This approach reduces routine field interventions and helps anticipate issues before escalation, improving overall system reliability.
By fully digitizing the operational workflow—from data acquisition to decision-making—the GIANT platform sets a new benchmark in CP management, combining intelligence, automation, sustainability to meet evolving gas infrastructure demands.