Approximately 45 million euros in European funds awarded through national tenders is the total funding received by the three projects developed by Sotacarbo (SulkHy, Recover, Refuel) for the development of the green hydrogen value chain in the Sulcis Iglesiente region.

Solutions to overcome the technical and bureaucratic criticalities involved in the creation, in Carbonia, of a technology hub based on the development of green hydrogen and clean fuels were at the centre of the meeting between Regional Industry Councillor Emanuele Cani, Carbonia Mayor Pietro Morittu and Sotacarbo Sole Administrator Mario Porcu.

The SulkHy project, financed by the Sardinian Regional Government's Department of Industry with 12.6 million euros of Pnrr funds, envisages the production of green hydrogen to power a dozen hydrogen-powered buses of the Regional Transport Company (Arst) operating in Sulcis Iglesiente. This initiative is synergic with the Refuel project, identified as strategic by the European Commission, and financed with over 19 million euros from the Just Transition Fund, for the construction of a demonstration plant for the synthesis of renewable methanol from green hydrogen and carbon dioxide directly separated from the air. In addition, there is the Recover project, already at an advanced stage of implementation, funded with 12 million euros by the Agency for Territorial Cohesion, to recover the premises of the former 'technical office' of the Grande Miniera di Serbariu in Carbonia and turn it into an internationally renowned laboratory for the production of green hydrogen and other fuels from renewable energy.

“The Region of Sardinia has the utmost attention for these projects, which can represent an opportunity to launch a virtuous path in the Sulcis Iglesiente area that combines technological innovation and industrial development that is finally in line with Europe's decarbonisation objectives,” says councillor Emanuele Cani. “It is our duty to create the conditions to make full use of all available funds as soon as possible to relaunch our region. This is why the Department of Industry is committed to supporting Sotacarbo and the municipal administration in solving the problems that may slow down or prevent the implementation of the projects within the deadlines set by the calls for tenders.”

Sotacarbo Sole Administrator Mario Porcu emphasises that “ensuring the integration of these projects will allow Carbonia to boast a unique hydrogen and clean fuels hub at European level. In fact, unlike other similar projects, our initiative already includes the end user, thanks to the agreement signed by Sotacarbo with Arst. In this case as well, the support of the Region and the close collaboration of the Municipality of Carbonia are essential to enable us to meet the very tight project deadlines.”

Mayor Pietro Morittu highlights the importance for the Carbonia community of hosting a development initiative that is able to attract new skills and professionalism: “The recent regional law on suitable areas allows us to plan with new certainty interventions for our territory in both the energy and industrial fields. The municipal administration's objective is to support Sotacarbo's initiatives in the field of green hydrogen, to create, also through these projects, the basis for reversing the depopulation of Carbonia and enabling students, researchers, professionals and local businesses to find the opportunities they seek here.”

Precisely for having demonstrated its ability to offer concrete professional development opportunities to young researchers in the area, last November the Sotacarbo Research Centre was one of the case studies exhibited by the Region of Sardinia in the European interregional project REWARD, aimed at sharing successful models and strategies on knowledge enhancement that can be replicated in the various European regions.