GREEN HYDROGEN FOR PUBLIC TRANSPORT IN RAVENNA GREEN HYDROGEN FOR PUBLIC TRANSPORT IN RAVENNA

Sustainable mobility is one of the cornerstones of the fight against climate change. Transport, whether on a local, national, or international level, is responsible for a large proportion of the CO2 emissions that cause global warming and, as stated in the European Green New Deal, we can no longer put off addressing this issue. How should we approach the problem of mobility? If we talk about it from an individual point of view, it is natural to think primarily about our personal choices, such as whether or not to own a car or to cycle, use public transport o car-sharing services. If we really want to tackle the problem, however, a broader approach is crucial, one which involves municipal authorities and the public transport network. In this respect, the municipality of Ravenna has launched an initiative, one of the first of its kind in Italy, that could make a difference and set a very interesting precedent.

A new green hydrogen plant to power Ravenna's buses

For this praiseworthy initiative, the Municipality of Ravenna has chosen to collaborate with a number of local stakeholders, such as the Hera Group, Ravenna Holding, Aess, and Start Romagna, to build a new solar-powered plant that will produce green hydrogen for the city's new buses. The aim is to create an independent and environmentally sustainable supply chain to power the public transport network with locally produced energy. The initiative is part of a programme to abandon fossil fuels and non-renewable energy sources, which aims to make Ravenna a model of environmental sustainability for the whole country.

Powering buses with water and sun

A cutting edge, state-of-the-art facility will be built near the Ravenna bus depot, using water and solar energy to generate, store and distribute green hydrogen. In the future, an electrolysis plant will also be created, which will be powered exclusively by photovoltaic panels on the roofs of nearby buildings and on bus shelters. These plants will produce the so-called "fuel cell” energy, which will power the new vehicles of Ravenna's public transport network.

Emilia Romagna commits to climate action

The Emilia Romagna region, often at the forefront of Italian sustainability issues, has already launched several projects aimed at reducing emissions by introducing liquid methane- and biomethane-powered public transport vehicles. According to governor Roberto Sacchetti, hydrogen will be the energy source of the future and will be part of other projects to be implemented at regional and local level. For instance, a plant is already under construction near Bologna that will convert renewable hydrogen into biomethane to power the city's water purification plant. To achieve these goals, local institutions have chosen to work with companies such as those in the Hera group, which are committed to ambitious emission reduction targets.