NextChem, a subsidiary of an international industrial group Maire Tecnimont S.p.A, has been assigned a €194 million grant for the development of a waste-to-hydrogen plant as part of the IPCEI Hy2Use project.
As explained, the project sets up what is said to be the first industrial-scale technological hub for the development of the entire national hydrogen supply chain .
The so-called Hydrogen Valley in Rome will be established to develop the national supply chain for the production, transport, storage and use of hydrogen for the decarbonisation of industrial processes and for sustainable mobility.
The project aims to develop a waste-to-hydrogen plant that will produce up to 20,000 tons of hydrogen annually at full capacity, using 200,000 tons per year of non-recyclable solid waste as raw material.
The grant will be disbursed during the construction phases of the plant. The next steps concern the start of the project activities and all the necessary permits, in order to ensure the plant start-up in the first half of 2027, in compliance with the funding.
The European project also includes a contribution of approximately €4 million for additional research and development activities in waste-to-hydrogen technology, leveraging scientific partners such as Enea, Fondazione Bruno Kessler and La Sapienza University of Rome.
Alessandro Bernini , CEO of Maire Tecnimont Group and NextChem, said: “We are proud of the goal achieved by Maire Tecnimont Group with NextChem, and of the recognition of the industrial and technological skills of our Country by the European Union to develop a low-carbon and low-cost hydrogen economy.
“This project, which is unique in the world, represents a milestone in the development of technologies combining circular economy and green chemistry. It enables us to act as pioneers in the decarbonisation of hard-to-abate industries, with a model that can be replicated in other countries”.
The non-repayable grant supports the activities carried out by the parties involved in the implementation of Important Projects of Common European Interest ( IPCEI ).