Studying the feasibility of Power to Gas plants to decarbonize cement production processes
Italgas and Buzzi Unicem have signed an agreement for the development of a feasibility study on the implementation of Power to Gas plants in combination with Carbon Capture Systems at Buzzi Unicem’s production plants.
The implementation of these technologies is aimed at promoting the decarbonization of cement and concrete production processes in order to increase environmental sustainability and facilitate the energy transition. In particular, the study will assess the possibility of producing and using, in the most suitable Buzzi Unicem plants, synthetic methane obtained from the combination of green hydrogen produced by the Power to Gas plants with part of the CO2 released in the production processes.
The agreement leverages on the solid experience gained by Italgas with the development of a Power to Gas project in Sardinia to produce green hydrogen with the aim of testing its uses also in urban contexts, in public transport and in supplying local energy-intensive industries.
“We strongly believe in Power to Gas technology,” Paolo Gallo, CEO of Italgas affirmed, “and in its strategic contribution to the energy transition in terms of sector coupling. The production of hydrogen from renewable sources enables the use of gas networks in the dual function of carrier and energy storage asset, ensuring greater flexibility to the system. The agreement represents a great opportunity for us to take a further step forward in the study of innovative solutions and technological best practices. Therefore, we are pleased to share with Buzzi Unicem the know-how we have developed in the design of the Italgas P2G plant that will be built in Sardinia, creating the first technological showcase of the green hydrogen production chain in Italy”.
Luigi Buzzi, Group Technical Director at Buzzi Unicem, confirms that: “We are very interested in the opportunity to collaborate with Italgas as an experienced partner to develop a project that is fully integrated into our industrial investment plan aimed at identifying technologies for capturing and reusing the CO2 released by our plants, in line with the roadmaps defined by industry associations.
Our aim is to responsibly contribute to containing climate change by developing CO2 capture technologies and identifying the best solutions for its reuse. We are currently experimenting with Calcium Looping technology for capturing the carbon dioxide released by the production process at our plant in Vernasca (PC). Thanks to the EU Horizon 2020 project “Cleanker”, it will be possible to assess the technical and economic sustainability of this technology and estimate the changes to the plant and the investments required to adopt this process in existing cement plants.”
