The Ravenna project will accelerate the decarbonization of a wide range of industrial activities that are difficult to make low-emission ("Hard to Abate") through the creation of a Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) infrastructure. In this system, the carbon dioxide emitted will be captured at the source, transported, and stored in ENI's depleted gas fields.
After the start of Phase 1 in 2024, which involves the injection of 25,000 tons of CO2 per year from Eni's plants, Phase 2 is expected by 2026, with a storage capacity of up to 4 million tons per year. This initiative will strengthen the competitiveness of the Italian and European industry, providing a beneficial solution for industrial decarbonization and generating significant economic benefits in the region.
Economic impacts are estimated at 1.5 billion euros, with the creation of 18,000 jobs, benefiting various industries in Southern Europe (ENI, Snam). Among the international projects, the plan to build the world's largest hydrogen plant powered entirely by renewable energy by NEOM Green Hydrogen Company stands out for its extraordinary innovation. This will be the most significant and valuable green hydrogen production plant globally, producing 600 tons of zero-emission hydrogen per day by 2026, making a substantial contribution to a zero-emission future (ACWA Power, Air Products, NEOM).
During the "Project X Change" Conference, there will also be discussions on "Hard to Abate" industries, linked to the Carbon2Business plan supported by the European Innovation Fund, which aims to create the world's first zero-emission cement plant at Holcim Germany's Laegerdorf plant (Holcim Deutschland, Linde, Linde Engineering Dresden, Polysius, Thyssen Krupp).
Finally, the Helios Cycle project aims to develop an innovative and eco-friendly method to produce iron from iron ore using sodium as a reducing agent, emitting only oxygen (Anglo American, Helios, TechEnergy).
"Over 500 projects and papers from more than 50 countries across 4 continents were submitted, with 40 decarbonization project presentations and 56 papers on pathways to 'net zero' selected to be showcased to delegates and visitors during the GET Global Energy Transition Congress and Exhibition," commented Sarah Howell, President of GET Global Energy Transition Congress and Exhibition. "These numbers confirm that significant innovative work towards 'net zero' is underway, and we are confident that GET24 in July will be a unique experience. The Forum is indeed creating an ideal platform to unite the energy sectors, the hard-to-decarbonize sectors ('Hard to Abate'), and finance, to showcase the work done and exchange ideas and innovations to accelerate the pace towards the global energy transition. Italy plays a central role in this new approach, standing out for its innovation and originality," Howell added.
