Hydrogen applications in various sectors

Hydrogen for sustainable mobility

Sustainable mobility is key to reducing CO₂ emissions and promoting a greener future. Targeted investments are needed to decarbonize this sector, making transportation systems more efficient and less dependent on fossil fuels.

Renewable hydrogen represents a promising alternative that can be used in fuel cell electric vehicles, such as cars, trucks, and trains. This technology offers a clean and innovative solution for mobility, contributing to significant emission reductions in the transportation sector.

Learn more about hydrogen for the mobility sector:

• Sustainable hydrogen mobility: the European goal for transport decarbonization
• Hydrogen fueling stations for sustainable mobility on the road
• Fuel cells: how hydrogen vehicles work and why they are the solution of the future
• Hydrogen vehicles on the market

Hydrogen for transport decarbonization

The transportation sector is responsible for a significant share of global CO₂ emissions.

To address this challenge, it is essential to invest in the decarbonization and energy transition of vehicles and infrastructure. Hydrogen from renewable sources emerges as a key solution, which can be used in fuel cell electric vehicles such as cars, trucks, and trains. In addition, it can be used in the production of synthetic fuels for shipping and aviation, helping to reduce environmental impacts on a large scale.

Learn more about hydrogen for the transportation sector:

• Decarbonizing road transport with hydrogen technologies: all the benefits and the current situation in Italy
• Decarbonizing rail transport with hydrogen-powered trains
• HRS and Simplifhy partnership: the agreement on the Italian market for transport decarbonization

Heavy industries and steelworks

Steel production with green hydrogen

In steel treatment processes, hydrogen is used in the hardening phase, to reduce temperature from 700°C to 10°C without any oxidation.

Thanks to our solutions, it is possible to substitute the current methods based on the use of hydrogen transported by means of cylinders and trailers.
We can design new low environmental footprints processes, by the usage of solar PV panels to feed the electrolysisand produce green hydrogen.

At Simplifhy we support the steel manufacturers planning to use these processes on their production sites.
In all the phases of the project, from feasibility studies, to supplying the electrolysers, the storage of the hydrogen and the adaptation of the forklifts, we support our clients to choose the most suitable solution based on the requirements and characteristics of the applications.

Actually, we are able to support companies in different industrial sectors where hydrogen is needed, to design their own plants and optimize the excess electricity production they have.

Hydrogen in waste and water treatment

The use of hydrogen in the waste treatment and water treatment sectors is particularly strategic to become independent energy producers through the use of renewable sources and creating virtuous cases of circular economy.

Electrolysis process in water treatment

The availability of water in water treatment sites, enables to set-up an electrolysis process to produce hydrogen, but also to produce oxygen to be used in the same treatment processes.

Pyrolysis process in waste treatment

In waste treatment, some pyrolysis processes make it possible to produce hydrogen and to use it as clean fuel for waste collection trucks, and so to start a decarbonisation process.

Energy storage in remote sites and agriculture

Hydrogen production is the best way to store energy in remote sites, such as islands or mountain huts.
In these situations, it is necessary to store the energy produced during summer from RES to use it in the winter seasons.
The choice to use batteries to store energy could be applicable only for short-term accumulation. The solution is hydrogen, that can be stored for long periods and used when there is a need.

The same kind of advantages can be obtained in agriculture sector, where it is necessary to have energy available for autumn and winter seasons for some specific activities, like plowing and greenhouse heating to name a few. Often the available renewable energy sources, like solar energy, are not enough to cover the whole demand.
Moreover, to have a real sustainable and high-quality agriculture, and to be in line with decarbonization goals, one solution is to use the Fuel Cells tractors.
Therefore, it is necessary to create the whole supply chain, from the electrolysis to the hydrogen storage.

The hydrogen integrated solutions in hospitals

The fuel cells represent a reliable and sustainable alternative to the emergency power generators system currently used in the hospital environments.
A solution to autonomously produce the hydrogen required to feed the fuel cells foresee the installation of an electrolyser so to build an integrated solution and make available both hydrogen and hot water.

Hydrogen in Ceramic Sector

Currently the ceramic sector makes extensive use of Natural Gas. Due to the even higher costs of gas and the large amount of CO2 produced, there’s a great interest at hydrogen as energy vector to start a decarbonization process, through a progressive replacement of the natural gas with H2 used as fuel, making mixtures at variable percentages.

The Green Hydrogen can be produced locally by renewable resources using an electrolysis system.

Decarbonization in Logistic Sector

In the process of decarbonization of the logistics sector, hydrogen plays a key role as a “clean” energy vector, in both internal and external mobility.

The use of hydrogen in internal mobility of logistics centers

For the internal mobility in logistics centers, hydrogen is the best solution for handling large forklifts, or when there is the need for continuous availability of vehicle.

In these cases, in fact, the use of battery electric vehicle is not a viable option due to the high costs and management times.

The solution is the use of hydrogen forklift, which can be recharged at the same times as a standard diesel vehicle, that is, in a few minutes.

The use of hydrogen in external mobility of logistics centers

Even for the external mobility, such as to transport goods from production sites and among different distribution centers, the manufacturers of heavy-duty vehicles are now looking at hydrogen with great interest.

Over long distances the battery electric vehicles are not a viable solution, because this requires batteries of huge weight and size, and long stop times for recharging. Hydrogen is then the ideal option.

The only current limitation is that, to date, in Italy there is still no adequate infrastructure for hydrogen.

At Simplifhy, we have the competencies and the tools to help customers in the logistics sector to get on the path towards decarbonization.
We deal with:

• Production and storage of hydrogen.
• Conditioning and compression of hydrogen to use it on heavy-duty vehicles according to safety regulations.
• Put the logistics centers in contact with vehicle manufacturers.

Green Fuels in Glassworks processes

Glasswork’sproduction is an extremely energy-intensive process, which uses large quantities of gas from fossil sources.

For this reason, the prospect of a decarbonization of glasswork’s processes require an increasing use of green fuels.
One option is the use of biomethane, while the other is certainly the use hydrogen produces by renewable energy sources.

Today, the first goal for glass factories is to decarbonize at least 10% of the production process by means of a Natural Gas-H2 blending:

• can be reached in the short term
• without a major technological impact
• with a limited economic investment.

Later, gradually, it shall be possible to invest in the purchase of a new generation of burners and ovens, to achieve the final goal of an exclusive use of hydrogen as fuel.