The President of the Regional Government of Tuscany Will Open the First Urban Hydrogen Pipeline
The opening of the first urban hydrogen pipeline will take place at 11am tomorrow in Arezzo' San Zeno Industrial Estate. This is where Claudio Martini, the President of the Regional Government of Tuscany, will open the taps of the world's first hydrogen pipeline that has been built in an urban area.
Although the pipeline will initially serve four jewellery companies, the objective is to double supplies by the end of the year. The pipeline - consisting of 1,000 metres of pipes with a 10cm diameter - has been laid one metre underground and will supply 16 cubic metres of gas at 3 atmospheres of pressure i.e., 53,000 cubic metres a year. The objective of the "Hydrogen for Arezzo" project is to increase the number of companies hydrogen is supplied to and to distribute at least 100,000 cubic metres of hydrogen.
"This is an important stage - stated Mr Martini - for the future of Tuscany, a region that is now even more sustainable and eco-friendly whose economy is stimulated whilst respecting the environment. Hydrogen will help us to meet the European-led objective that we have set ourselves, i.e., a 20% increase in the amount of energy produced with renewables. This will benefit our businesses as well."
"Hydrogen for Arezzo" has cost €1.2 million, €400,000 of which have been contributed by the Regional Government, and is co-ordinated by a consortium called La fabbrica del sole. The Regional Government of Tuscany, Arezzo's Provincial Government and Municipality, Arcotronics Fuel Cell srl (now Exergy fuel-cells), Coingas spa, Sapio - Produzione Idrogeno e Ossigeno, Associazione Industriali, Cna and Confartigianato di Arezzo have all taken part in this project.
The hydrogen pipeline links four jewellery companies that use this gas both for their manufacturing processes and to power four 5kW fuel-cell generators that have been installed in their premises by Arcotronics Fuel-cells.
The companies in question are: Gz (part of the Unoaerre Group), Falco, Treemme, and Co.Ar. Hydrogen is also supplied to HydroLAb, a laboratory built and managed by La Fabbrica del Sole that will co-ordinate and oversee experiments linked to hydrogen and other renewable sources of energy.
"It is not by chance - concluded Mr Martini - that requests to extend the network to other nearby jewellery businesses have already been submitted and that a local telephone provider would like to lay a fibre optic cable alongside the hydrogen pipeline. Future developments include the production of hydrogen from renewables, photovoltaic systems as well as the use of surplus production to power environmental-friendly vehicles".
Author: Tiziano Carradori 29/04/2008
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