A consortium of five parties are launching a project for “the production and use of green hydrogen at the port of Savona”. Part of the initiative will focus on the deployment of hydrogen as an alternative source of power for rail freight operations, including last-mile journeys at the port.
The pilot project was launched by Ports of Genoa (which also oversees Savona), FS Logistix, Edison, Assocostieri and the Logistics Association of Sustainable Intermodal (ALIS). The Deputy Minister of Transport Edoardo Rixi also attended the signing ceremony. “Savona could become a concrete laboratory for the energy transition of Italian ports,” he said.
The parties will focus on finding suitable hydrogen users for logistics activities, both land and sea, as well as the “optimal technical-economic configuration of hydrogen production and distribution plants”, Port of Genoa underlined. The goal is to create an environment that meets the needs of the port of Savona but can also be replicated in other Italian ports, according to Fabrizio Mattana, Executive Vice President Gas Assets Edison.
Hydrogen in rail
The deployment of hydrogen as an alternative fuel in rail freight is another attempt to decrease the consumption of diesel and decarbonise the sector. Another recent initiative took place in the UK, in a cooperation between GB Railfreight and US-based HyOrc to convert traditional engines to hydrogen power units.
China is also working on finding ways to use hydrogen to power their freight locomotives. Last summer, for example, CRRC unveiled a new brand for modular freight units built around battery, hydrogen fuel cell and diesel-battery hybrid power, known as VELFORCE. However, the path to large-scale use still seems quite long in favour of battery-electric hybrids.