The numbers of the Italian hydrogen supply chain

As we all know, in Italy, the development of a hydrogen supply chain is the main objective for achieving the climate neutrality required by the Green Deal instituted by the European Union. It is no coincidence that both Italy and Europe are constantly working on the development of technologies, the valorisation of different resources, and research and innovation in this energy vector. In recent years, our country has developed a national hydrogen strategy that initiated a series of major investments for the development of an Italian supply chain. Let us go into the numbers and data in detail.

Hydrogen data in Italy

The report drawn up by H2IT, the Italian Hydrogen Association, in collaboration with the Intesa Sanpaolo Studies and Research Department and Innovation Centre, tells the story of the hydrogen sector’s trends, numbers and data.

Development, innovation and incentives are the key words of this report. In particular, the document highlights the commitment of companies that have stepped up investments in the hydrogen sector and, year after year, are recognising the importance of the transition to a low-carbon economy.

By 2022, 65 per cent of the companies within the hydrogen supply chain reported an increase in the value of their investments. Going into detail:

• 70% achieved growth through internal and private funding
• 22% received national, European or regional funding.

Furthermore, support in research and development led to the creation of research and innovation infrastructures dedicated to hydrogen within 71% of companies. This shows how important the correlation between investment and innovation is.

These steps are fundamental and demonstrate the Italian interest in this sector: in fact, participation in national and European tenders is high. Specifically, the numbers speak for themselves:

• 65% participated in European calls for proposals. In particular, the largest participations came in the Horizon 2020 – Horizon Europe, FCH JU and Clean Hydrogen partnership calls for proposals
• 51% participated in the calls promoted by the PNRR (National Recovery and Resilience Plan)
• 33% are involved in the IPCEI fund (Important Projects of Common European Interest)

But which are the Italian areas where most will be invested in the development of the supply chain? According to the document drawn up by the Observatory, it will be the area of northern Italy that will be the fertile ground for the hydrogen sector, especially Lombardy, where most of the companies are currently based, and which alone account for around 60% of Italy’s hydrogen turnover. In short, the numbers and data show the attention of governments and industries towards the use of hydrogen as an energy vector for the decarbonisation of Italian industry.

Which companies are producing hydrogen in Italy?

In Europe and also in Italy, people are focusing on the production of renewable hydrogen in disused industrial areas, the so-called ‘Hydrogen Valleys‘. In particular, the companies that are most focused on creating these areas and producing hydrogen in our country are:

• SNAM
• Eni
• Enel
• A2A
• Edison
• Italgas

Simplifhy proposal to contribute to hydrogen awareness in Italy

We at Simplifhy, as the first Italian provider, are ready to offer our know-how and solutions to contribute to hydrogen awareness in Italy. In particular, we stand as a one-stop supplier for the realisation of solutions for the decarbonisation of industry through technologies based on the use of hydrogen as an energy carrier and as an alternative fuel with a comprehensive and customised offer. Specifically, thanks to the experience gained over the years, we are able to propose ourselves as a single interlocutor during:

• consulting for the design and implementation of ‘custom-made’ hydrogen systems
• supply of equipment and implementation of complete plants for the production and use of hydrogen
• engineering and execution of projects (including authorisation and bureaucratic)
• hydrogen transport
• support for foreign companies wishing to implement solutions for the production and use of hydrogen in Italy
• national and European calls for tenders for the financing and implementation of innovative projects for decarbonisation with hydrogen-based technologies.