Enel, Fincantieri to Study Use of Green Hydrogen in Ports & Shipping

Europe's biggest utility Enel has agreed to work with Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri to find ways to use green hydrogen in ports and long-range sea transport.

"The two companies intend to exploit their expertise and know-how in their respective sectors to identify possible sustainable and innovative solutions," they said in a statement on Thursday.

Fincantieri and Enel Green Power Italia will in particular study the supply of green hydrogen to naval, submarine and surface vessels and industrial users in port areas and look into storage systems.

Enel’s Eugenio Montale power plant in the town of La Spezia in Italy's Liguria region will be used as an initial test site, they added.

Hydrogen is widely viewed as having an important role to play in reducing emissions in heavy transport sectors that are difficult to electrify like shipping.

In July Fincantieri joined forces with Swiss-based shipping group MSC and gas group Snam in a feasibility study with a view to building the world's first hydrogen-powered cruise ship.

(Reporting by Stephen Jewkes; editing by Agnieszka Flak)