Enel has secured EU funding support for a 20MW green hydrogen project on the island of Sardinia, off Italy.
SardHy Green Hydrogen, the company established on the basis of a joint project of Enel Green Power and Saras, is among the Italian beneficiaries of the €5.2bn Important Projects of Common European Interest (IPCEI) for the Hy2Use project.
Hy2Use is Enel’s second green hydrogen project launched under IPCEI, following the Hy2Tech project.
The funding for this second round will go to support 35 projects planned by 29 companies from 13 Member States, including Italy.
The four Italian companies admitted to the second IPCEI on hydrogen will receive a total of €500m between them.
The selected projects concern hydrogen infrastructure and its application in industry, the segment in which SardHy Green Hydrogen by Enel Green Power and Saras operate.
Formed as a result of the memorandum of understanding signed by the two companies in February 2021, the initiative is expected to see SardHy Green Hydrogen install a 20MW electrolyser at the Sarroch industrial site in the province of Cagliari.
The plant, supplied exclusively by renewable energy from Enel Green Power, will be used to produce green hydrogen for the Saras refinery with the aim of reducing the carbon footprint of its refining processes.
“While being among the recipients of a European Union fund is always a source of pride, being one of the beneficiaries of support under the IPCEI Hy2Use confirms that the path we are following is the right one,” said Salvatore Bernabei, CEO of Enel Green Power.
Dario Scaffardi, CEO of Saras, added: “Refining is known to be one of the industrial sectors with the highest hydrogen consumption, and our Sarroch site is particularly suited to the application of such a programme due to its size and structural characteristics.
“We are convinced that this project represents an opportunity with great growth potential for our business, in line with the Saras Group’s objective of pursuing a decarbonisation process consistent with the European climate neutrality targets, and at the same time capable of increasing our value.”