Hydrogen Hits the Roads

ENEL to develop first Italy CCS project

ENEL is expected to build a CCS post-combustion unit to abate CO₂ emissions from a 300 megawatt power production line within the Porto Tolle plant. ENEL currently has three other smaller CCS projects slated to go online – one near Venice and two in Brindisi. None are operative yet, but they will cover the full range of CO₂ capture technologies from pre- and post- combustion to oxy fuel.  The precombsution technology is expecially interesting with regards to hydrogen production as hydrogen is a by-product of this process.

Porto Tolle’s CCS unit is expected to cost some €800 million, while ENEL will receive less than €400 million from the EU toward the project. The question, therefore, is who will fund the remainder. The Italian state is vague on the issue of support, and relies on the conditions spelled out in Law n. 99. Yet it is fairly certain that the cash-strapped state will not be able to fill the financial gap.

The main hurdles for these projects are financial as well as the need to secure the necessary authorization, and the building up of the needed public support. There is no apparent or specific strategy surrounding full-scale CCS deployment in Italy, and only ENEL has taken concrete, albeit incipient, steps.

The recent adoption of Law n.99 is a spark to start discussions on long-term strategy to phase out unabated fossil fuel power production in Italy. Partnering with other countries  is also a good way for the country to compare goals and policies, as some EU Member States are proposing interesting steps in ending fossil fuel dependence.

The recently begun national adoption process spurred by the EU Climate Package should also force Italy to decide how and by when to deploy CCS technology as an important option to match other EU national emissions reduction targets – and the public would doubtless like to have advance notice to weigh in with its own opinions.

More information here