Edison and Saipem join together in a special purpose vehicle to implement the Puglia Green Hydrogen Valley project

A significant step forward on the development path for the realisation of the Puglia Green Hydrogen Valley, one of the first initiatives for the production and transport of green hydrogen on a large scale in Italy, which strengthens the existing partnership between Edison, Saipem and Alboran Hydrogen

Milan, 8 September 2022 – Following the agreements signed in September 2021, Edison and Saipem acquire 50% and 10% respectively of Alboran Hydrogen Brindisi Srl for the implementation of the Puglia Green Hydrogen Valley project. Furthermore, Saipem also holds an exclusive right for the project implementation.

The Puglia Green Hydrogen Valley project involves the construction of three green hydrogen production plants in Brindisi, Taranto and Cerignola (FG), for a combined electrolysis capacity of 220 MW, powered by approximately 400 MW of photovoltaic solar energy. Once fully operational, the three plants will produce up to 300 million normal cubic metres of green hydrogen per year, which will be used to power local industry and sustainable mobility, also by means of injection into the local gas grid.

The Brindisi plant, which is at an advanced development stage, involves the construction of a green hydrogen production plant providing for an electrolysers capacity of 60 MW powered by a dedicated photovoltaic field. Among others, the project was put forward for the IPCEI (Important Projects of Common European Interest) European funding call.

The project involves important regional entities including the Acquedotto Pugliese, the Ferrovie Apulo Lucane, the technological and production Districts of Puglia, the Politecnico di Bari, and the Universities of Bari, Foggia and Salento, maximising the synergies with the territory and supporting the development of skills for the creation of a local supply chain.

Hydrogen is one of the key energy vectors to achieve the decarbonisation targets set by the national and European strategies to 2030 and 2050. The Puglia Green Hydrogen Valley Project aims to accelerate the penetration of green hydrogen in the national energy mix. The project has a significant local importance, considering that Puglia’s industrial sector consumes more energy than the average and accounts for around 6% of national industrial energy consumption.

Giovanni Brianza, CEO of Edison Next, the Edison Group company supporting businesses and territories in the ecological transition and decarbonisation, declares: "With this project, Edison is confirming its commitment to the development of the green hydrogen value chain, leveraging on synergies with other Edison’s businesses. This technology represents also a key factor in the strategic plan of Edison. In particular, the company aims to use green hydrogen to replace fossil fuels in energy-intensive industrial processes and to make heavy transport sustainable”.

Mattia D’Amato, Alboran Director Strategy Development and Innovation, declares: “For Alboran this project highlights the perfect fit between its own green hydrogen choices and the national and European strategies moving in this direction. The involvement of other major partners in the initiative means it will be possible to harness the full potential of the project model proposed for Puglia”.

Fabrizio Botta, Saipem Chief Commercial Officer, affirms: “This initiative is strategic within the framework of our Technological Plan, which provides for the development of "Low Carbon" solutions enabling innovative business models and confirms that we are, therefore, the ideal partner to support our customers in the energy transition and towards Net Zero”.