Italian shipbuilding major Fincantieri and compatriot energy supplier Enel Green Power Italia have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for the production, supply, management and use of green hydrogen for port areas and long-range maritime transport.
The two companies will collaborate both in the supply of green hydrogen to naval, submarine and surface vessels, and to industrial users within the port area, including the design and construction of the necessary infrastructure elements, including storage, where necessary.
Furthermore, they will work on the design and construction of the infrastructure elements, and the system for the management of energy flows.
Enel’s Eugenio Montale power plant in La Spezia will be used as an initial test site for the activities covered by the agreement, launching a sustainable energy transition path for the site, the partners revealed.
“ The signing of this agreement represents a further step forward in Enel Green Power’s commitment to collaborating with operators interested in developing solutions for the use of green hydrogen in sectors where electrification is not possible, thus contributing to the energy transition process through the decarbonization of industrial activities ,” said Carlo Zorzoli , Head of Business Development for Enel Green Power.
“ The European goal of carbon neutrality by 2050 requires the creation of an industrial eco-system on which Fincantieri has been working concretely for some time through a series of operational agreements with the major Italian players for the realization of complex projects in a short time ,” Laura Luigia Martini , CEO Business Advisor and Executive Vice President Corporate Business Development of Fincantieri, commented.
This MoU can successively undergo future binding agreements defined according to applicable rules and regulations, including those regarding operations between related parties, the parties concluded.
The move follows Fincantieri’s recent signing of the MoU with Swiss cruise line MSC Cruises and energy infrastructure operator Snam. The partners have joined forces to examine requirements for “the first hydrogen-powered cruise ship.”
In the context of the energy transition, hydrogen is expected to add a valuable contribution to the decarbonization of energy-intensive industries such as chemicals, aviation, maritime transport and non-electrified railways, provided it is produced in a sustainable manner.