Energy: Hydrogen, online 16 ENEA projects and technologies

ENEA is part of the European projects H2PORTS and e-SHyIPS which have the aim of introducing the use of hydrogen in port logistics and maritime passanger transport. In particular, as part of the 4 million project H2PORTS, the port of Valencia in Spain will be the first in Europe to experiment with hydrogen-powered vehicles to reduce the environmental impact of its activities: ENEA has the task of developing a fuel cell tractor to handle the container and the other partners that of building a service station and a self-propelled, hydrogen powered forklift.

These are just two of sixteen projects concerning hydrogen -in which ENEA is either coordinator or scientific partner- described in the supplement ENEA technologies and projects for hydrogen, in the latest issue of the magazine Energy, the Environment and Innovation online at eai.enea.it. Simple and concise cards provide a unique overview of the latest research and technologies on hydrogen, for an increasingly extended and sustainable use at an economic and environmental level. For example, the project NELLHI, coordinated by ENEA, has the purpose of designing modular electrochemical devices capable of converting different fuels, such as hydrogen, bio-methane and biogas, into highly efficient electrical power (60% and more).

The European project CoMETHy, also coordinated by ENEA, developed an innovative hydrogen reforming process with great power source flexibility, that can be fuelled by renewable sources. This technology makes it possible to combine different energy sources, such as solar energy, methane (natural gas or biogas) and biofuels (for example bioethanol) to produce pure hydrogen for different applications, allowing to easily adapt hydrogen production to locally available energy resources.

Another project, HYLAW, deals with administrative, legal and bureaucratic obstacles hindering the diffusion of fuel cells and hydrogen technologies.

Furthermore, to contribute to the creation of a national hydrogen economy and an integrated ecosystem with research, industry and institutions, ENEA is building a 14 million euro Hydrogen Valley at its Casaccia Research Center near Rome.

The whole supplementi is available at: Tecnologie e Progetti ENEA per l'idrogeno