Snam and Tenova initiate a collaboration to decarbonize the metals industry

An agreement to foster the decarbonization of the metals sector in Italy and abroad: Snam, Europe’s largest energy infrastructure operator, and Tenova, leading developer and provider of sustainable solutions for the green transition of the metals industry, committed to conducting joint strategic studies and market analysis to implement specific infrastructure and metals production systems by usinggreen hydrogen.

The aim is to bring integrated, turnkey commercial solutions tested in industrial plants to implement a substantial reduction of CO2 and NOx emissions in the metals production process – from melting to processing of half-processed products.

“Through this agreement – Cosma Panzacchi, EVP Hydrogen at Snam commented – we further develop our network of partners and projects to introduce green hydrogen into the relevant productive processes of the metals industry. Hydrogen is essential to cut emissions from the production of steel and other metals, as well as from all hard-to-abate sectors such as cement, ceramic, chemistry and refining. Snam is willing to contribute through its technologies and know-how by enabling, as fast as possible, the hydrogen transition of such crucial commodity chains for the Italian economy”.

Snam will provide its expertise in hydrogen technologies as well as transport, whereas Tenova will contribute through its know-how in this sector, more specifically in combustion systems for reheating and heating treatment, and in electric arc furnaces. The collaboration between the two companies will develop through specific tests in the laboratory under construction at Tenova’s headquarters (in Castellanza, Varese), and through installations and production tests on industrial sites.

“Everyone talks about green hydrogen, but the reality is that its supply and use are still limited, and, at the same time, pressures to mitigate climate change are getting stronger. For this reason, we are developing a ready-to-use solution for our customers, directly at their production sites. The expertise of Snam and Tenova is complementary, and together we are ready to face the challenge of decarbonization, on which Tenova has been working for years thanks to solutions that make us the ideal technological partners to improve environmental performances without compromising the economic ones”, commented Roberto Pancaldi, Tenova CEO.

Tenova’s combustion systems, a key part of the agreement with Snam, represent an extremely innovative solution and unique on the market. First, they enable CO2 emissions reduction in a scalable and flexible fashion: once installed, these systems can work through a blend of natural gas and hydrogen in variable percentages, up to 100% of hydrogen, whereby maintaining emissions well below the most restrictive limits. Furthermore, they can be integrated with advanced 4.0 technologies, offering significant advantages in terms of management and maintenance, thanks to Tenova’s digital infrastructure.

Through its know-how on hydrogen technologies and transportation, Snam will be able to secure an optimized integration across the entire value chain, thus meeting this industry’s needs.

Source and Photo: Tenova