Saipem and Alboran Hydrogen have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on the joint development and the construction of five plants for the production of green hydrogen through the electrolysis process. Three facilities are planned in Italy and the remaining two in the Mediterranean basin.

Saipem and Alboran Hydrogen propose the development of a green hydrogen hub in Puglia (Italy) through the construction of three plants in the territories of Brindisi, Taranto and Foggia and with the participation of the National Energy Technology District, La Sapienza University, the Salento University and the Brindisi Research Center (Cittadella della Ricerca di Brindisi).

This initiative fits within the objectives set by Italy’s National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR).

Three plants are envisaged in Italy’s Brindisi, Taranto and Foggia

The agreement includes the plan for the development and construction of two additional plants in the Mediterranean basin – in Albania and Morocco. The latter will produce ammonia from green hydrogen, Saipem said on its website.

According to the MoU, Saipem will be engaged with the engineering, procurement and construction of the plants, as part of the development and eventual implementation activities.

Alboran Hydrogen, operating in the development of renewable projects, will be in charge of coordinating the technological aspects with the research institutes involved, as well as of the authorization activities for the development of the facilities, and of the supply chain agreements with the research centres, and universities involved.

The idea is to export the project model to the world

Simone Pratesi, Chairman of Alboran Hydrogen, said the agreement with Saipem would allow the company to develop the potential of the project model proposed for Puglia, with the aim of exporting it to the world.

According to Maurizio Coratella, COO of Saipem’s onshore E&C Division, the agreement with Alboran Hydrogen consolidates Saipem’s position as a leading player in the energy transition and decarbonisation and is an important step ahead for the future development of green hydrogen in Italy and in the Mediterranean basin.

In the coming decades, the technology will represent the new horizon of energy evolution, Coratella added.