Technological updates, a legal framework for hydrogen, significant investment, and pilot projects to overcome the current obstacles will be essential for the successful creation of an Italian green hydrogen value chain, says president of hydrogen association H2IT Alberto Dossi at a televised hearing at the Italian Parliament Camera dei Deputati seen by Kallanish.
“The hydrogen sector is complex and requires a clear, wide-ranging strategic plan that does not suffer setbacks or reversals, but that proceeds gradually with actions in the short, medium and long term, particularly when it comes to the future role of green hydrogen. Failure to do so would cause risky slowdowns or deviations that could exclude Italy from the main European and international initiatives,” Dossi says and talks about the need for attracting investment and matching demand with supply.
“We believe it is a priority to initiate infrastructure projects and launch pilot initiatives of significant scale that act as a driving force for the entire supply chain. Such projects must integrate all aspects of the supply chain – namely production, transport, storage and use, identifying sites that can match production and demand. Targeted ecosystems and clusters, such as hydrogen valleys, large industrial sites or large cross-border projects…will be key to jointly develop supply and demand. This will allow decision makers to obtain direct data that will have an impact on the definition of a legal framework, but above all on cost reduction from the synergies that will be created with other sectors,” Dossi says.
Vice president of the association Luigi Crema also urges the government to accelerate the transition to hydrogen produced from renewable sources by supporting large-scale national projects and building an infrastructural network for logistics and transport of hydrogen, with a particular attention to the issues of distribution and storage. Crema also stresses the importance of developing hydrogen mobility infrastructures such as refuelling stations “which are almost non-existent today” and boost research and development to generate revenues and jobs.
“The barriers that hinder the growth of the supply chain must not demotivate but stimulate the country to adopt a strategic approach in order not to lose miss the train of energy and technological evolution,” Crema concludes.
Natalia Capra France
