The first hydrogen refuelling station in Lombardy has been presented in Carugate, along the eastern ring road of Milan: an important milestone towards the creation of a national network dedicated to hydrogen road mobility.
The plant built is the first of five interventions currently underway and will be able to refuel both light and heavy vehicles, promoting the use of hydrogen as a sustainable alternative to traditional fuels. The project is part of the broader context of European policies for decarbonisation and the transition towards climate neutrality and represents a significant contribution towards an increasingly innovative, efficient, and low-emission transport system.
The initiative is promoted by Milano Serravalle – Milano Tangenziali SpA with the aim of starting a hydrogen mobility model applied to road transport in Italy, starting from a key infrastructure hub in the heart of Lombardy.
The introduction of hydrogen in an energy transition path represents a strategic development area for the FNM Group, also involved in the H2iseO Hydrogen Valley project in Val Camonica, dedicated to local public transport by rail and road. As part of H2iseO, the commercial service of the first hydrogen trains in Italy will be launched within the 1H26.
The design and implementation aspects of the first network in Italy dedicated to road mobility and the Carugate Est station in particular were illustrated today during the presentation event during which, among others, the Undersecretary of State to the Presidency of the Council of Ministers with responsibility for CIPESS Alessandro Morelli, the Councilor for Transport and Sustainable Mobility of the Lombardy Region Franco Lucente, the President of FNM Andrea Gibelli, the Delegate Councilor of FNM Fulvio Caradonna, the President of Milano Serravalle – Milano Tangenziali Elio Catania, the CEO of Milano Serravalle – Milano Tangenziali Ivo Cassetta, the Technical Director of Milano Serravalle – Milano Tangenziali Giuseppe Colombo, the Director of Strategy and Development of FNM Stefano Erba spoke. The President of the Lombardy Region Attilio Fontana sent a video contribution.
The presentation was also attended by important companies in the automotive sector active in the development and production of hydrogen vehicles. Those present had the opportunity to delve into topics related to the sector, products and the hydrogen supply chain, and to closely observe some models of hydrogen vehicles exhibited by the main brands involved: BMW Italia, Daimler Buses Italia, Hyundai, Rampini Carlo, and Toyota Motor Italia.
There are currently over 250 refuelling stations in Europe, with over 200 in the planning phase. Germany and France are leading the transition, while Italy is still in an early stage. Over the past two years, the total number of hydrogen-powered vehicles in circulation in Europe has reached 6000 vehicles. Once again, Germany is the leader with over 2000 vehicles, followed by France and the Netherlands.
As for estimates on future scenarios in Italy, according to projections by H2IT Italian Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Association (H2IT), hydrogen will play an increasingly important role in sustainable mobility. By 2050, it is estimated that more than 8.5 million cars, over 20 000 buses and around 50 000 trucks powered by hydrogen will be circulating on Italian roads. This confirms how strategic this technology is for reducing emissions and polluting less.