The funds of PNRR for the 'green hydrogen enter the first regional tender. Sardinia from January 30 accepts projects to build hydrogen plants in the former areas industrial. The equipment is 21 million euro and applications can be submitted by 28 February. Timing is important to meet the (current) date of 2026 to complete the works financed under the Recovery and Resilience Plan. Sardinia, moreover, is part of a recent Italy-Algeria agreement for a new pipeline. In essence, the Galsi project blocked in 2013 is resumed, but this time, in addition to gas, the new infrastructure should also transport hydrogen and ammonia. The Sardinian "Hydrogen Valley" should close forever the historic experience of the coal-producing region with thousands of jobs.
Hydrogen only with electrolysis
The gas pipeline to be built and the other agreements with Libya and Egypt, according to Giorgia Meloni, recalls the Mattei Plan of the 60s which is somehow relaunched and updated. Equipment will be installed in abandoned industrial areas for electrolysis : extraction of hydrogen from water. An innovative process even if still expensive, sometimes criticized for this, but which must exploit only clean energy sources. The tender from Sardinia goes in this direction and the projects will have to comply with EU standards. It is definitely an opportunity to make a breakthrough. "An opportunity to allow Sardinia to face the energy transition with investments that will make it the protagonist of a true green innovation" says the regional councilor for Industry, Anita Pili. On the resolution that approved the tender, Pili adds that the Giunta has chosen to promote direct and indirect investments which allow "the diversification of energy sources with the aim of making our regional energy system autonomous". The Region is very attentive to what is happening in Europe. After the Plan « REPowerEu » of May 2022, the European Commission has in fact set two new objectives. The first: 20 million tons the production of green hydrogen by 2030. 10 million should come from national production; another 10 million tons from imports. The second objective concerns the creation of a Renewable Hydrogen Investment Bank to attract large-scale investments. The plants that are being financed in Italy in the old production areas are part of it.
