Following the signing of the contracts in September 2021, Edison and Saipem acquired, respectively, 50% and 10%, of Alboran Hydrogen Brindisi Srl, a firm crucial to the implementation of the Puglia Green Hydrogen Valley project.
Furthermore, Saipem also has the only right to carry out the project. Three green hydrogen production facilities will be built as part of the Puglia Green Hydrogen Valley project at Brindisi, Taranto, and Cerignola (Foggia), with a combined electrolysis capacity of 220 MW, and will be powered by about 400 MW of photovoltaic solar energy. Once fully operational, the three facilities will be able to generate up to around 300 million standard cubic meters of renewable hydrogen annually, which will be used to power the local economy and promote sustainable transportation.
The Brindisi project, which is at an advanced stage of development, envisions building a green hydrogen production facility employing electrolyzers with a 60 MW capacity, powered by a dedicated solar field. The project was one of several submitted for the Ipcei European financing initiative (Important Projects of Common European Interest).
The entire project, which involves significant regional institutions like the Apulian Aqueduct, the Apulo Lucane Railways, the Apulian technological and productive districts, the Polytechnic of Bari, the Universities of Bari, Foggia, and Salento, will enable the maximization of synergies with the territory and encourage the development of skills for the establishment of a local supply chain.
The Puglia Green Hydrogen Valley Project seeks to hasten the national distribution of green hydrogen in the energy mix. Hydrogen is one of the reference energy carriers to fulfill the decarbonization goals established by the national and European plans for 2030 and 2050. Given that Puglia consumes more energy than the national average for its industrial sector and accounts for around 6% of the sector’s total energy consumption, the initiative has significant local importance.
“With this project, Edison confirms its commitment to the development of the entire green hydrogen supply chain, a technology that is synergistic to the company’s core business and a key element in its strategic development plan,” says Giovanni Brianza, CEO of Edison Next, a company of the Edison Group that supports businesses and territories in the ecological transition and decarbonization
The participation of other significant partners in the initiative allows for better develop the potential of the project model proposed for Puglia, according to Mattia D’Amato, Director of Strategy Development and Innovation of Alboran. Fabrizio Botta, Chief Commercial Officer of Saipem, says: “The initiative allows to better develop the potential of the project model proposed for Puglia.
