Snam, all about the plans (blessed by Biden) for green hydrogen
US climate envoy John Kerry thinks Italy could become a "distribution point" for relevant hydrogen in Europe, with an eye on Saudi Arabia. Meanwhile, Snam is looking to North Africa
US climate correspondent John Kerry, interviewed by the editor of Repubblica at the Green & Blue event, said Italy "could become an important distribution point for Europe" for hydrogen. It is a fuel that does not release greenhouse gases other than water vapor, and which can therefore allow the decarbonisation of those industrial processes (chemicals, steel) and those transport systems (airplanes, ships, trains, heavy trucks) which are very polluting and difficult to power with electricity.
Hydrogen is also useful as an "energy-refuge", ie for the storage of electricity produced by intermittent renewable plants, such as wind and solar farms that depend on weather conditions.
GREEN HYDROGEN
Kerry spoke of the "great Saudi project to produce green hydrogen, which can then be passed through Greece and arrive in Italy". Green hydrogen is, among all types of hydrogen, the most sustainable from an environmental point of view: it is obtained from electricity generated from renewable sources (such as wind and solar) through a process of water electrolysis (i.e. the separation of hydrogen and oxygen from H2O) using machinery called electrolysers.
COSTS
In addition to green hydrogen, there are gray hydrogen (the most polluting, obtained from methane) and blue hydrogen (obtained from natural gas, but capturing CO2 emissions through specific technologies). Although it is the most compatible with the emission-climate objectives, the green variant is also the most expensive to produce: the price is around 4-8 dollars per kilo. But it should radically decrease with the increase in investments and the achievement of economies of scale both in the manufacture of electrolysers and in the production of electricity from renewable sources.
SNAM FORECASTS
According to Marco Alverà, CEO of Snam (the Italian company that deals with the transport and storage of methane, and which is focusing heavily on hydrogen), within five years "green hydrogen could cost less than oil and by 2030 it could become even cheaper than coal ".
The company thinks that hydrogen could cover nearly a quarter of all energy demand in Italy by 2050. In the shorter term, mixing gas and hydrogen in the distribution network (up to 10-20 percent) for heating domestic could constitute a development segment.
Hydrogen can be transported through the same gas networks as long as these infrastructures are compatible. For years, Snam has been experimenting with the introduction of hydrogen mixtures into Italian gas pipelines.
NORTH AFRICA
According to Snam, Italy could import hydrogen from North Africa at a price 14 percent lower than that of domestic production. To do this, it can exploit both the existing pipelines between North Africa and Sicily, and the great photovoltaic potential – given the high amount of sunshine – of this region.
In summary: large solar parks could be installed in North Africa that will produce large quantities of electricity at low cost. This electrical energy would be used to produce hydrogen through electrolysis. The resulting hydrogen would be transported to Italy, using the existing infrastructures. In addition to being sent to the North, where energy demand is high given the presence of many industries, from Italy – as Kerry suggested – green hydrogen could also reach other parts of Europe.
HYDROGEN IN SAUDI ARABIA
With the mention of the "great Saudi project" on green hydrogen, Kerry referred to Helios Green Fuels : worth 5 billion dollars, it will rise in 2025 in Neom – the smart city in the desert promoted by Saudi prince Mohammed bin Salman – and will produce 650 tons per day of hydrogen from electrolysis.
Estimates say that by 2030 Helios green hydrogen will be priced at $ 1.5 per kilo, which is extremely competitive.
The hydrogen obtained at Neom can then be converted into ammonia, which is easier to transport on ships. Or – as Kerry said – it could reach Europe through the gas pipelines between Greece and Italy.
Last August Reuters had made it known that the Saudi oil company Saudi Aramco was considering the sale of minority stakes in some of its pipelines: Snam was also among the companies involved, but it did not release any comments to the agency.
This is a machine translation from Italian language of a post published on Start Magazine at the URL https://www.startmag.it/energia/snam-idrogeno-italia-nordafrica-arabia-saudita/ on Wed, 17 Nov 2021 11:03:10 +0000.