Solvay, a Belgian chemicals company, will start using green hydrogen to produce peroxygens at its plant in Rosignano, Italy, under a partnership with Italian supplier of industrial and medical gases Sapio Group. In accordance with the agreement, Sapio will help Solvay set up a green hydrogen facility on a former industrial site within the Rosignano complex, where it currently produces hydrogen peroxide. As per the company’s statement, the new installation will be built by mid 2026 and will be powered by a dedicated 9.5 MW solar park.
The project is intended to decarbonise the Belgian group’s manufacturing processes and will create what will be Europe’s first hub for the production of green hydrogen peroxide. Once production kicks off, it will provide Solvay with 756 tonnes of green hydrogen per year. According to the company’s estimates, the project will lead to a 15 per cent reduction in the carbon footprint of its peroxide-related activities. Solvay, which aims to become carbon neutral before 2050, has secured $17.2 million from Italy’s National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR) for the Rosignano project.
In April 2023, the European Commission approved a €450 million plan proposed by the Italian government to support investments in the integrated production of green hydrogen and renewable electricity in brownfield industrial areas. The Temporary Crisis and Transition Framework, which was approved in March 2023, contains conditions that the EU competition watchdog has determined the Italian plan complies with.
