Italy

Among the several typologies of storage technologies mainly on different physical principles (mechanical electrical and chemical) hydrogen produced by power to gas (P2G) from renewable energy sources complies with chemical storage principle and is based on the conversion of electrical energy into chemical energy by means of the electrolysis of water which does not produce any toxic or climate-relevant emission. This paper aims to pinpoint the potential uses of renewable hydrogen storage systems in Europe analysing current and potential locations regulatory framework governments’ outlooks economic issues and available renewable energy amounts. The expert opinion survey already used in many research articles on different topics including energy has been selected as an effective method to produce realistic results. The obtained results highlight strategies and actions to optimize the storage of hydrogen produced by renewables to face varying electricity demand and generation-driven fluctuations reducing the negative effects of the increasing share of renewables in the energy mix of European Countries.

A greenhouse containing an integrated system of photovoltaic panels a water electrolyzer fuel cells and a geothermal heat pump was set up to investigate suitable solutions for a power system based on solar energy and hydrogen feeding a self-sufficient geothermal-heated greenhouse. The electricity produced by the photovoltaic source supplies the electrolyzer; the manufactured hydrogen gas is held in a pressure tank. In these systems the electrolyzer is a crucial component; the technical challenge is to make it work regularly despite the irregularity of the solar source. The focus of this paper is to study the performance and the real energy efficiency of the electrolyzer analyzing its operational data collected under different operating conditions affected by the changeable solar radiant energy characterizing the site where the experimental plant was located. The analysis of the measured values allowed evaluation of its suitability for the agricultural requirements such as greenhouse heating. On the strength of the obtained result a new layout of the battery bank has been designed and exemplified to improve the performance of the electrolyzer. The evaluations resulting from this case study may have a genuine value therefore assisting in further studies to better understand these devices and their associated technologies.

Thermal power plants face substantial challenges to remain competitive in energy systems with high shares of variable renewables especially inflexible integrated gasification combined cycles (IGCC). This study addresses this challenge through the integration of Gas Switching Combustion (GSC) and Membrane Assisted Water Gas Shift (MAWGS) reactors in an IGCC plant for flexible electricity and/or H₂ production with inherent CO₂ capture. When electricity prices are high H₂ from the MAWGS reactor is used for added firing after the GSC reactors to reach the high turbine inlet temperature of the H-class gas turbine. In periods of low electricity prices the turbine operates at 10% of its rated power to satisfy the internal electricity demand while a large portion of the syngas heating value is extracted as H₂ in the MAWGS reactor and sold to the market. This product flexibility allows the inflexible process units such as gasification gas treating air separation unit and CO2 compression transport and storage to operate continuously while the plant supplies variable power output. Two configurations of the GSC-MAWGS plant are presented. The base configuration achieves 47.2% electric efficiency and 56.6% equivalent hydrogen production efficiency with 94.8–95.6% CO₂ capture. An advanced scheme using the GSC reduction gases for coal-water slurry preheating and pre-gasification reached an electric efficiency of 50.3% hydrogen efficiency of 62.4% and CO₂ capture ratio of 98.1–99.5%. The efficiency is 8.4%-points higher than the pre-combustion CO₂ capture benchmark and only 1.9%-points below the unabated IGCC benchmark.

A method for determination of hazardous zones for hydrogen installations has been studied. This work has been carried out within the NoE HySafe. The method is based on the Italian Method outlined in Guide 31-30(2004) Guide 31–35(2001) Guide 31-35/A(2001) and Guide 31-35/A; V1(2003). Hazardous zones for a “generic hydrogen refuelling station”(HRS) are assessed based on this method. The method is consistent with the EU directive 1999/92/EC “Safety and Health Protection of Workers potentially at risk from explosive atmospheres” which is the basis for determination of hazardous zones in Europe. This regulation is focused on protection of workers and is relevant for hydrogen installations such as hydrogen refuelling stations repair shops and other stationary installations where some type of work operations will be involved. The method is also based on the IEC standard and European norm IEC/EN60079-10 “Electrical apparatus for explosive gas atmospheres. Part 10 Classification of hazardous areas”. This is a widely acknowledged international standard/norm and it is accepted/approved by Fire and Safety Authorities in Europe and also internationally. Results from the HySafe work and other studies relevant for hydrogen and hydrogen installations have been included in the case study. Sensitivity studies have been carried out to examine the effect of varying equipment failure frequencies and leak sizes as well as environmental condition (ventilation obstacles etc.). The discharge and gas dispersion calculations in the Italian Method are based on simple mathematical formulas. However in this work also CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics) and other simpler numerical tools have been used to quantitatively estimate the effect of ventilation and of different release locations on the size of the flammable gas cloud. Concentration limits for hydrogen to be used as basis for the extent of the hazardous zones in different situations are discussed.

This paper presents a study on the Standard Operating Procedures (P.O.S.s) for the operation of the Fire Corps squads in the event of accidents with a hydrogen release fire or explosion. This study has been carried out by the Italian Working Group on the fire prevention safety issues as one of its main objectives. The Standard Operating Procedures proved to be a basic tool in order to improve the effectiveness of the Fire Corps rescue activity. The unique physical and chemical properties of the hydrogen its use without odorization and its almost invisible flame require a review of the already codified approaches to the rescue operations where conventional gases are involved. However this is only the first step; a Standard Operating Procedure puts together both the theoretical and practical experience achieved on the management of the rescue operations; therefore its arrangement is a cyclic process by nature always under continuous revision updating and improvement.

In order to achieve gradual but timely decarbonisation of the transport sector it is essential to evaluate which types of vehicles provide a suitable environmental performance while allowing the use of hydrogen as a fuel. This work compares the environmental life-cycle performance of three different passenger cars fuelled by hydrogen: a fuel cell electric vehicle an internal combustion engine car and a hybrid electric vehicle. Besides two vehicles that use hydrogen in a mixture with natural gas or gasoline were considered. In all cases hydrogen produced by wind power electrolysis was assumed. The resultant life-cycle profiles were benchmarked against those of a compressed natural gas car and a hybrid electric vehicle fed with natural gas. Vehicle infrastructure was identified as the main source of environmental burdens. Nevertheless the three pure hydrogen vehicles were all found to be excellent decarbonisation solutions whereas vehicles that use hydrogen mixed with natural gas or gasoline represent good opportunities to encourage the use of hydrogen in the short term while reducing emissions compared to ordinary vehicles.

In a scenario characterized by an increasing penetration of non-dispatchable renewable energy sources and the need of fast-ramping grid-balancing power plants the EU project GRASSHOPPER aims to setup and demonstrate a highly flexible PEMFC Power Plant hydrogen fueled and scalable to MW-size designed to provide grid support.<br/>In this work different layouts proposed for the innovative MW-scale plant are simulated to optimize design and off-design operation. The simulation model details the main BoP components performances and includes a customized PEMFC model validated through dedicated experiments.<br/>The system may operate at atmospheric or mild pressurized conditions: pressurization to 0.7 barg allows significantly higher net system efficiency despite the increasing BoP consumptions. The additional energy recovery from the cathode exhaust with an expander gives higher net power and net efficiency adding up to 2%pt and reaching values between 47%LHV and 55%LHV for currents between 100% and 20% of the nominal value.

In this paper a study on the comparison between the different methodologies for the determination of the safety distances proposed by Standard Organizations and national Regulations is presented. The application of the risk-informed approach is one of the methodologies used for the determination of safety distances together with the risk-based approach. One of the main differences between the various methodologies is the risk criterion chosen. In fact a critical point is which level of risk should be used and then which are the harm events that must be considered. The harm distances are evaluated for a specified leak diameter that is a consequence of some parameters used in the various methodologies. The values of the safety distances proposed by Standard Organizations and national Regulations are a demonstration of the different approaches of the various methodologies especially in the choice of the leak diameter considered.

Buffers are key components for hydrogen filling stations that are currently being developed. Type 1 or composite cylinders are used for this application. The type used depends on many parameters including pressure level cost and space available for the filling station. No international standards exist for such high pressure vessels whereas many standards exist covering Types 123 and 4 used for transport of gas or on-board fuel tanks. It is suggested to use the cylinders approved for transport or on-board applications as buffers. This solution appears to be safe if at least one issue is solved. The main difference is that transport or on-board cylinders are cycled from a low pressure to a high pressure during service whereas buffers are cycled from a relatively high pressure (corresponding to the vehicle’s filling pressure) to the MAWP. Another difference is that buffers are cycled many times per day. For standards developers requesting to systematically verify that buffers pass millions of cycles at low pressure amplitude would be impractical. Several standards and codes give formulae to estimate the number of shallow cycles when number of deep cycles are known. In this paper we describe tests performed on all types of composite cylinders to verify or determine the appropriate formulae.

The use of fossil fuels as an energy supply becomes increasingly problematic from the point of view of both environmental emissions and energy sustainability. As an alternative hydrogen is widely regarded as a key element for a potential energy solution. However differently from fossil fuels such as oil gas and coal the production of hydrogen requires energy. Alternative and intermittent renewable energy sources such as solar power wind power etc. present multiple advantages for the production of hydrogen. On the one hand the renewable sources contribute to a remarkable reduction of pollutants released to the air and on the other hand they significantly enhance the sustainability of energy supply. In addition the storage of energy in form of hydrogen has a huge potential to balance an effective and synergetic utilization of renewable energy sources. In this regard hydrogen storage technology is a key technology towards the practical application of hydrogen as “energy carrier”. Among the methods available to store hydrogen solid-state storage is the most attractive alternative from both the safety and the volumetric energy density points of view. Because of their appealing hydrogen content complex hydrides and complex hydride-based systems have attracted considerable attention as potential energy vectors for mobile and stationary applications. In this review the progresses made over the last century on the synthesis and development of tetrahydroborates and tetrahydroborate-based systems for hydrogen storage purposes are summarized.

Hydrogen produced by renewable sources represents an interesting way to reduce the energetic dependence on fossil fuels in the transportation sector. This paper shows a feasibility study for the production storage and distribution of hydrogen in the western Sicilian context using three different renewable sources: wind biomass and sea wave. The objective of this study is the evaluation of the hydrogen demand needed to replace all diesel supplied buses with electrical buses equipped with fuel cells. An economic analysis is presented with the evaluation of the avoidable greenhouse gas emissions. Four different scenarios correlate the hydrogen demand for urban transport to the renewable energy resources present in the territories and to the modern technologies available for the production of hydrogen. The study focuses on the possibility of tapping into the potential of renewable energies (wind biomass and sea wave) for the production of hydrogen by electrolysis. The use of hydrogen would reduce significantly the emissions of particulate and greenhouse gases in the urban districts under analysis.

The feasibility and cost-effectiveness of hydrogen-based microgrids in facilities such as public buildings and small- and medium-sized enterprises provided by photovoltaic (PV) plants and characterized by low electric demand during weekends were investigated in this paper. Starting from the experience of the microgrid being built at the Renewable Energy Facility of Sardegna Ricerche (Italy) which among various energy production and storage systems includes a hydrogen storage system a modeling of the hydrogen-based microgrid was developed. The model was used to analyze the expected performance of the microgrid considering different load profiles and equipment sizes. Finally the microgrid cost-effectiveness was evaluated using a preliminary economic analysis. The results demonstrate that an effective design can be achieved with a PV system sized for an annual energy production 20% higher than the annual energy requested by the user and a hydrogen generator size 60% of the PV nominal power size. This configuration leads to a self-sufficiency rate of about 80% and without public grants a levelized cost of energy comparable with the cost of electricity in Italy can be achieved with a reduction of at least 25–40% of the current initial costs charged for the whole plant depending on the load profile shape.

New technological solutions are required to control the impact of the increasing presence of renewable energy sources connected to the electric grid that are characterized by unpredictable production (i.e. wind and solar energy). Energy storage is becoming essential to stabilize the grid when a mismatch between production and demand occurs. Among the available solutions Power to Hydrogen (P2H) is one of the most attractive options. However despite the potential many barriers currently hinder P2H market development. The literature reports general barriers and strategies to overcome them but a specific analysis is fundamental to identifying how these barriers concretely arise in national and regional frameworks since tailored solutions are needed to foster the development of P2H local market. The paper aims to identify and to analyze the existing barriers for P2H market uptake in Italy. The paper shows how several technical regulatory and economic issues are still unsolved resulting in a source of uncertainty for P2H investment. The paper also suggests possible approaches and solutions to address the Italian barriers and to support politics and decision-makers in the definition and implementation of the national hydrogen strategy.

The aim of this paper is to analyze the factors affecting hydrogen and Carbon Capture and Storage Technologies (“CCS”) policies taking into consideration Fossil Fuel Consumption Oil Reserves the Debt/GDP Ratio the Trilemma Index and other variables with respect to OECD countries. STATA 17 was used for the analysis. The results confirm the hypothesis that countries with high fossil fuel consumption and oil reserves are investing in blue hydrogen and CCS towards a “zero-carbon-emission” perspective. Moreover countries with a good Debt/GDP ratio act most favorably to green policies by raising their Public Debt because Foreign Direct Investments are negatively correlated with those kinds of policies. Future research should exploit Green Finance policy decision criteria on green and blue hydrogen.

Biomass gasification is a promising technology to produce secondary fuels or heat and power offering considerable advantages over fossil fuels. An important aspect in the usage of producer gas is the removal of harmful contaminants from the raw syngas. Thus the object of this study is the development of a simulation model for a gasifier including gas clean-up for which a fluidized-bed gasifier for biomass-derived syngas production was considered based on a quasi-equilibrium approach through Gibbs free energy minimisation and including an innovative hot gas cleaning constituted by a combination of catalyst sorbents inside the gasification reactor catalysts in the freeboard and subsequent sorbent reactors by using Aspen Plus software. The gas cleaning chain simulates the raw syngas clean-up for several organic and inorganic contaminants i.e. toluene benzene naphthalene hydrogen sulphide hydrogen chloride and ammonia. The tar and inorganic contaminants final values achieved are under 1 g/Nm3 and 1 ppm respectively.

Hydrogen production is critical to many modern chemical processes – ammonia synthesis petroleum refining direct reduction of iron and more. Conventional approaches to hydrogen manufacture include steam methane reforming and autothermal reforming which today account for the lion's share of hydrogen generation. Without CO₂ capture these processes emit about 8.7 kg of CO₂ for each kg of H₂ produced. In this study a molten carbonate fuel cell system with CO₂ capture is proposed to retrofit the flue gas stream of an existing Steam Methane Reforming plant rated at 100000 Nm3 h−1 of 99.5% pure H2. The thermodynamic analysis shows direct CO₂ emissions can be reduced by more than 95% to 0.4 to 0.5 kg CO₂ /kg H₂ while producing 17% more hydrogen (with an increase in natural gas input of approximately 37%). Because of the additional power and hydrogen generation of the carbonate fuel cell the efficiency debit associated with CO₂ capture is quite small reducing the SMR efficiency from 76.6% without capture to 75.6% with capture. In comparison the use of standard amine technology for CO2 capture reduces the efficiency below 70%. This demonstrates the synergistic nature of the carbonate fuel cells which can reform natural gas to H₂ while simultaneously capturing CO₂ from the SMR flue gas and producing electricity giving rise to a total system with very low emissions yet high efficiency.

The paper presents the outcomes of the HyResponse project i.e. the European Hydrogen Safety Training Programme for first responders. The threefold training is described: the content of the educational training is presented the operational training platform and its mock-up real scale transport and hydrogen stationary installations are detailed and the innovative virtual tools and training exercises are highlighted. The paper underlines the outcomes the three pilot sessions as well as the Emergency Response Guide available on the HyResponse’s public website. The next steps for widespread dissemination into the community are discussed.

The release of gases heavier than air like propane at ground level or lighter than air like hydrogen close to a ceiling can both lead to fire and explosion hazards that must be carefully considered in safety analyses. Even if the simulation of accident scenarios in complex installations and long transients often appears feasible only using lumped parameter computer codes the phenomenon of denser or lighter gas dispersion is not implicitly accounted by these kind of tools. In the aim to set up an ad hoc model to be used in the computer code ECART fluid-dynamic simulations by the commercial FLUENT 6.0 CFD code are used. The reference geometry is related to cavities having variable depth (2 to 4 m) inside long tunnels filled with a gas heavier or lighter than air (propane or hydrogen). Three different geometrical configurations with a cavity width of 3 6 and 9 m are considered imposing different horizontal air stream velocities ranging from 1 to 5 m/s. A stably-stratified flow region is observed inside the cavity during gas shearing. In particular it is found that the density gradient tends to inhibit turbulent mixing thus reducing the dispersion rate. The obtained data are correlated in terms of main dimensionless groups by means of a least squares method. In particular the Sherwood number is correlated as a function of Reynolds a density ratio modified Froude numbers and in terms of the geometrical parameter obtained as a ratio between the depth of the air-dense gas interface and the length of the cavity. This correlation is implemented in the ECART code to add the possibility to simulate large installations during complex transients lasting many hours with reasonable computation time. An example of application to a typical case is presented.

The growing rate of electricity generation from renewables is leading to new operational and management issues on the power grid because the electricity generated exceeds local requirements and the transportation or storage capacities are inadequate. An interesting option that is under investigation by several years is the opportunity to use the renewable electricity surplus to power electrolyzers that split water into its component parts with the hydrogen being directly injected into natural gas pipelines for both storage and transportation. This innovative approach merges together the concepts of (i) renewable power-to-hydrogen (P2H) and of (ii) hydrogen blending into natural gas networks. The combination of renewable P2H and hydrogen blending into natural gas networks has a huge potential in terms of environmental and social benefits but it is still facing several barriers that are technological economic legislative. In the framework of the new hydrogen strategy for a climate-neutral Europe Member States should design a roadmap moving towards a hydrogen ecosystem by 2050. The blending of “green hydrogen” that is hydrogen produced by renewable sources in the natural gas network at a limited percentage is a key element to enable hydrogen production in a preliminary and transitional phase. Therefore it is urgent to evaluate at the same time (i) the potential of green hydrogen blending at low percentage (up to 10%) and (ii) the maximum P2H capacity compatible with low percentage blending. The paper aims to preliminary assess the green hydrogen blending potential into the Italian natural gas network as a tool for policy makers grid and networks managers and energy planners.

The deployment of diverse energy storage technologies with the combination of daily weekly and seasonal storage dynamics allows for the reduction of carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions per unit energy provided. In particular the production storage and re-utilization of hydrogen starting from renewable energy has proven to be one of the most promising solutions for offsetting seasonal mismatch between energy generation and consumption. A realistic possibility for large-scale hydrogen storage suitable for long-term storage dynamics is presented by salt caverns. In this contribution we provide a framework for modelling underground hydrogen storage with a focus on salt caverns and we evaluate its potential for reducing the CO₂ emissions within an integrated energy systems context. To this end we develop a first-principle model which accounts for the transport phenomena within the rock and describes the dynamics of the stored energy when injecting and withdrawing hydrogen. Then we derive a linear reduced order model that can be used for mixed-integer linear program optimization while retaining an accurate description of the storage dynamics under a variety of operating conditions. Using this new framework we determine the minimum-emissions design and operation of a multi-energy system with H₂ storage. Ultimately we assess the potential of hydrogen storage for reducing CO₂ emissions when different capacities for renewable energy production and energy storage are available mapping emissions regions on a plane defined by storage capacity and renewable generation. We extend the analysis for solar- and wind-based energy generation and for different energy demands representing typical profiles of electrical and thermal demands and different CO₂ emissions associated with the electric grid.

There are currently projects and demonstration programs aiming at introducing Hydrogen powered Fuel Cell (HFC) vehicles into the market. Regione Toscana has been cofounder of the project “H2 Filiera Idrogeno” whose goal is to achieve a clean and sustainable mobility through HFC vehicle studies covering their production storage and use. Among the goals of the project was the substitution of the electric propulsion system with a hydrogen fuel cells propulsion system. This work presents a brief overview of the necessary modifications of the electric propulsion version of a Piaggio Porter to host a H2 fuel cell and experimental studies of realistic H2 releases from the vehicle. The scenarios covered H2 unintended releases underneath the vehicle when at rest and focused on three types of releases diffusive major and minor that might reach the interior of the vehicle and potentially pose a direct risk to the passengers.

This paper summarizes the current results of the theoretical and experimental activity carried out by the Italian Working Group on the fire prevention safety issues in the field of the hydrogen transport in pipelines. From the theoretical point of view a draft document has been produced beginning from the regulations in force on the natural gas pipelines; these have been reviewed corrected and integrated with the instructions suitable to the use of hydrogen. From the experimental point of view an apparatus has been designed and installed at the University of Pisa; this apparatus has allowed the simulation of hydrogen releases from a pipeline with and without ignition of hydrogen-air mixture. The experimental data have helped the completion of the above-mentioned draft document with the instructions about the safety distances. The document has been improved for example pipelines above ground (not buried) are allowed due to the knowledge acquired by means of the experimental campaign. The safety distances related to this kind of piping has been chosen on the base of risk analysis. The work on the text contents is concluded and the document is currently under discussion with the Italian stakeholders involved in the hydrogen applications.

Water electrolysis supplied by renewable energy is the foremost technology for producing ‘‘green” hydrogen for fuel cell vehicles. In addition the ability to rapidly follow an intermittent load makes electrolysis an ideal solution for grid-balancing caused by differences in supply and demand for energy generation and consumption. Membrane-electrode assemblies (MEAs) designed for polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) water electrolysis based on a novel short-side chain (SSC) perfluorosulfonic acid (PFSA) membrane Aquivion with various cathode and anode noble metal loadings were investigated in terms of both performance and durability. Utilizing a nanosized Ir_0.7Ru_0.3O solid solution anode catalyst and a supported Pt/C cathode catalyst in combination with the Aquivion membrane gave excellent electrolysis performances exceeding 3.2 A cm^-2 at 1.8 V terminal cell voltage ( 80% efficiency) at 90 ºC in the presence of a total catalyst loading of 1.6 mg cm⁻². A very small loss of efficiency corresponding to 30 mV voltage increase was recorded at 3 A cm 2 using a total noble metal catalyst loading of less than 0.5 mg cm⁻² (compared to the industry standard of 2 mg cm⁻²). Steady-state durability tests carried out for 1000 h at 1 A cm ^-2 showed excellent stability for the MEA with total noble metal catalyst loading of 1.6 mg cm⁻² (cell voltage increase  5 lV/h). Moderate degradation rate (cell voltage increase 15 lV/h) was recorded for the low loading 0.5 mg cm^-2 MEA. Similar stability characteristics were observed in durability tests at 3 A cm⁻². These high performance and stability characteristics were attributed to the enhanced proton conductivity and good stability of the novel membrane the optimized structural properties of the the enhanced proton conductivity and good stability of the novel membrane the optimized structural properties of the the enhanced proton conductivity and good stability of the novel membrane the optimized structural properties of the Ir and Ru oxide solid solution and the enrichment of Ir species on the surface for the anodic catalyst.

"This paper summarises the modelling and experimental programme in the EC FP6 project HYPER. A number of key results are presented and the relevance of these findings to installation permitting guidelines (IPG) for small stationary hydrogen and fuel cell systems is discussed. A key aim of the activities was to generate new scientific data and knowledge in the field of hydrogen safety and where possible use this data as a basis to support the recommendations in the IPG. The structure of the paper mirrors that of the work programme within HYPER in that the work is described in terms of a number of relevant scenarios as follows: 1. high pressure releases 2. small foreseeable releases 3. catastrophic releases and 4. the effects of walls and barriers. Within each scenario the key objectives activities and results are discussed.<br/>The work on high pressure releases sought to provide information for informing safety distances for high-pressure components and associated fuel storage activities on both ignited and unignited jets are reported. A study on small foreseeable releases which could potentially be controlled through forced or natural ventilation is described. The aim of the study was to determine the ventilation requirements in enclosures containing fuel cells such that in the event of a foreseeable leak the concentration of hydrogen in air for zone 2 ATEX is not exceeded. The hazard potential of a possibly catastrophic hydrogen leakage inside a fuel cell cabinet was investigated using a generic fuel cell enclosure model. The rupture of the hydrogen feed line inside the enclosure was considered and both dispersion and combustion of the resulting hydrogen air mixture were examined for a range of leak rates and blockage ratios. Key findings of this study are presented. Finally the scenario on walls and barriers is discussed; a mitigation strategy to potentially reduce the exposure to jet flames is to incorporate barriers around hydrogen storage equipment. Conclusions of experimental and modelling work which aim to provide guidance on configuration and placement of these walls to minimise overall hazards is presented. "

Starting from the Rome Hydrogen Refuelling Station demand of 65 kg/day techno-economics of production systems and balance of plant for small scale stations have been analysed. A sensitivity analysis has been done on Levelised Cost of Hydrogen (LCOH) in the range of 0 to 400 kg/day varying capacity factor and availability hours or travel distance for alkaline electrolysers biomass gasification and hydrogen delivery. As expected minimum LCOH for electrolyser and gasifier is found at 400 kg/day and 24 h/day equal to 12.71 €/kg and 5.99 €/kg however for operating hours over 12 and 10 h/day the differential cost reaches a plateau (below 5%) for electrolyser and gasifier respectively. For the Rome station design 160 kWe of electrolysers 24 h/day and 100 kWth gasifier at 8 h/day LCOH (11.85 €/kg) was calculated considering the modification of the cost structure due to the existing equipment which is convenient respect the use of a single technology except for 24 h/day gasification.