The first meeting of the Lombardy Hydrogen Chain

The meeting was opened by Guido Guidesi, the Councilor for Economic Development of the Lombardy Region, who enthusiastically greeted the birth of the new consortium dedicated to Hydrogen. “We are very happy,” said Guidesi, “that a sector strategy like this has been born and that all the productive components of the sector, credit institutions, universities, companies working on the hydrogen theme are present in the chain. We have embraced the idea of the European Commission and Commissioner Breton and we have left companies free to act and team up because we are convinced that this is a winning strategy that can generate competition and improvement. We are facing a challenge that requires a change of mentality also at the institutional level. In the first months of next year, we will launch the first call dedicated to companies in the chain.

Following this, Paolo Carrera, the general manager of H2Energy, illustrated the potential growth of the green Hydrogen market and emphasized the need to carry forward initiatives of common interest that can increase the competitiveness of Italian green hydrogen. In this perspective, Carrera pointed out, an Interregional Hydrogen Chain is also being established with Liguria and Piedmont, in which H2Energy participates among the Lombard representatives.

Luca Gnali of the financial consulting company Crea Consulting showed all the financing possibilities dedicated to hydrogen and the chains to which it is possible to access. From European to national ones, up to the next regional calls. An interesting and exhaustive overview that revealed all the possibilities and facilities related to the different sectors linked to the energy vector to which it is, and will be, possible to access by participating in specific calls.

Then the scene was of the Academic Research Centers of the Lombardy Region that have joined the chain that have illustrated to the companies present the potential of their research applied to materials, membranes, and all phases of Hydrogen production.

Representatives of the major university research centers in the territory intervened. For the State University of Milan, Professor Giuseppe Cappelletti and Professor Alberto Vertova intervened, who illustrated how their know-how can go towards the preparation of new materials, make a quick screening of existing materials, and show the most effective results for production applied to hydrogen.

For the Polytechnic of Milan, Professor Giovanni Dotelli of the Department of Chemical Engineering of materials and Saverio Latorrata showed their work on waste materials and on the process of decontamination of areas and waters, highlighting the possibility of revealing through studies, how much a company or a chemical process, is really green and sustainable.

From Bicocca, Professors Carlo Santoro and Piercarlo Mustarelli brought their research experience on the development of membranes and different types of electrolysis, and on the development of catalysts. Finally, there were presentations by Professors Laura Depero and Laura Borgese from the University of Brescia, who brought to the attention of the chain, also the work of INSTM (National Institute of Science and Technology of Materials), the inter-university consortium that counts 52 academic realities within it, which studies materials, in addition to the research potential of the mechanical engineering departments of the Brescia university they were representing.

In early January, the Region will present the first accessible call for the hydrogen chain. And in January will also be the next appointment of the chain dedicated to companies and the first collaborations.