An agreement of great strategic importance for the transfer of technology, the use and production of “green” hydrogen, as the energy vector of the future, has been signed in the context of the Dubai Expo between the Regional Agency for Productive Activities (Arap) and DII Desert energy, an international network composed of over 50 companies and organizations from 25 countries, with a staff of international experts in the energy, infrastructure, financial and public policy sectors.
The announcement was made today in Dubai, in the congress hall W The Palm, during the press conference that inaugurated the new mission of the Abruzzo Region focused on renewable energy, with Arap as operational arm, and that will unfold until next Wednesday, with events including the World Hydrogen Summit.
This mission will be followed by a further step, from March 21 to 23, this time focusing on logistics infrastructure.
As many as 26 companies from Abruzzo have joined the initiative by responding to the expression of interest called by Arap, including the major regional players in the sector. Arap, with its general manager, Antonio Morgante, after the press conference, spoke today at the important international conference The 5th CBC annual leadership forum, in front of an audience of investors interested in the renewable energy sector. Tomorrow afternoon, then, Abruzzo Region and Arap will be present at the World Hydrogen MENA, an international conference dedicated to new market trends and strategies on hydrogen, with the illustration of the main case studies, projects and investment prospects.
“Abruzzo is geographically central, has one of the most important industrial poles in Europe, universities and research centers, and has all the credentials to aspire to become a hydrogen hub – said Morgante – Our task is to preserve the current level of employment and create new jobs and this can happen with new technologies and new renewable energy sources. The agreement with DII will allow our companies to become part of an international circuit that is already at the forefront in this field, will allow us to understand international trends and structure agreements of an industrial nature, knowing that we can leverage the funds of the Recovery Fund and the special economic zone that will allow a 40% tax reduction on investments made in Abruzzo, and we have additional funding that gives us the opportunity to be competitive”.
Due to sudden institutional commitments, Abruzzo Regional Councillor Nicola Campitelli, in charge of Environment and Energy, was not present today in Dubai. He welcomed with satisfaction “the partnership between ARAP and Dii Desert Energy; it is of fundamental importance because it is aimed at accelerating the energy transition of the Abruzzo Region. It will create an important boost for the hot topics of renewable energy, with enormous potential for investment in the sector. Dii Desert Energy aims to transform energy systems in the desert areas of the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) in a holistic way, benefiting from the knowledge, experience and business connections of its professional staff and partners, including its high-level Advisory Board. Dii’s team consists of highly respected figures in the international energy system, with experience in (green) energy industry management, projects, investments, regulations and public policy.”
With Cornelius Matthes, CEO of Ddi, taking part in today’s press conference were, in addition to dg Morgante, the vice president of Arap, Maria Assunta Iommi, the head of the Europe Office, Romeo Ciammaichella, Alberto Amoroso, CEO of Sangritana, a regional railway company whose core business is freight transport and integrated logistics in Abruzzo, and Maurizio Cociancich, CEO of Adriafer of Trieste.
“Arap manages the places where business is done – clarified Iommi – and this partnership agreement goes in the direction of the future. The mission is to make our industrial areas grow, attracting investments, enhancing services, also from the point of view of renewable energy. It should not be forgotten that this strategy will be increasingly favored by the facilities guaranteed by the establishment of special economic zones.”
“We are happy to add to our team an Italian partner – the words of Matthes -, with a precise objective and a clear vision, to create a hydrogen hub in central Italy. The objectives of Arap on this front are complementary with the activities of DII and the alliance can only bear good fruit. Abruzzo is a beautiful region, with high environmental value, and with an industrial vocation, just think of the automotive hub, and is already developing interesting projects within the NRP, such as the one that intends to put into operation the first hydrogen trains in Central Italy, in the railway line from Sulmona to Terni. All reasons of interest for our investors”. He added: “people close to the market know that hydrogen in the long term will be significantly larger than the market for traditional energy sources. Hydrogen technology is not new, it has been implemented for many years, now the issue is the production capacity, while on the cost side it happens instead that it is already competitive, given the explosion of gas prices”.
Amoroso concluded: “with Arap we are verifying the possibility to realize a terminal at the Fossacesia station to serve the Abruzzo ports and in particular those of Ortona and Vasto, in order to optimize the functional connection with the very important industrial area of Val di Sangro. Since the back-port terminal is not electrified, for safety reasons, hydrogen trains can represent the right and adequate answer to the challenge”.
