In Serravalle, province of Trento, they go on to produce catalyzed membranes for water electrolysis, which is indeed the key to green hydrogen production.
The 14,000m2 facility is already functioning with 30 employees and plans to triple its workforce in the coming 4 years with an initial investment of €50 million.
UFI HYDROGEN, a company of UFI Group dedicated to the development of innovative technologies along all stages of the green hydrogen value chain, has officially started the production of catalyzed MEA – Membrane Electrode Assembly membranes when it comes to green hydrogen production by water electrolysis from renewable sources.
The new plant is located in Serravalle, in the heart of the Hydrogen Valley that is promoted by the Autonomous Province of Trento, in a strategically important location characterized by a number of hydroelectric plants that are ideal for technologies that require clean and continuous energy.
The new production site has been created with an initial investment of €50 million and covers an area of 14,000 m2 out of which 6,000 m2 are indoors. It already has a team of 30 professionals from 11 countries, with the goal of tripling the workforce over a period of 4 years, also thanks to the return to Italy of highly specialized skills.
A Realistic Look at a Sustainable Future
As per Giorgio Girondi, Chairman of UFI HYDROGEN, “It is finally becoming a reality the intuition born in 2017, when the UFI Group began developing advanced materials for hydrogen-related applications. We firmly believe in the potential of green hydrogen as a solution complementing electrification to tackle the challenges of the energy transition, especially in the hardest-to-decarbonize sectors.”
Remarks CEO of UFI HYDROGEN, Marco Lazzaroni, “We are the only Italian company specialized in the implementation and industrialization of PEM – Proton Exchange Membrane – MEA CCM – Catalyst Coated Membrane: catalyzed membranes applied to water electrolysis for green hydrogen production. We are operating with the production of our first-generation membranes, and we are already working on the second generation, more efficient and sustainable, with the aim of reducing iridium content—one of the most critical precious metals in electrolysis processes. Thanks to this plant, we have transformed years of R&D work into industrial production.”
UFI’s Technological Leadership at the European Level
It is well to be noted that UFI HYDROGEN is developing membranes when it comes to four major green hydrogen technologies – production via electrolysis, generation of electricity by fuel cells for zero-emission mobility and stationary applications – Power-to-X and Power-BackUp, CO₂ conversion for the synthesis of e-fuels, and MEA for electrochemical hydrogen compression. Thanks to an extensive and distinctive technological portfolio, it is one of the most dynamic and cutting-edge players in the sector at the European level.
UFI HYDROGEN is also the sole Italian company selected for the fourth wave of the European IPCEI Hy2Move program, which is dedicated to the development of hydrogen for mobility. In this project, UFI HYDROGEN will benefit from around €22 million over the next four years, in particular for the subsequent key hydrogen application technology – membranes for fuel cells and fuel cells themselves—in terms of clean energy production in road, marine, aviation, and industrial transport.
The project is supported by the Autonomous Province of Trento and is carried out in a partnership with the Bruno Kessler Foundation – FBK which is a strategic partner for the research activities by the Institute on MEAs.