Air Liquide and Eni Partner for the Development of Hydrogen Mobility

Air Liquide (Paris:AI) and Eni join forces to support hydrogen mobility as one of the solutions to decarbonize the transport segment. The two companies have entered into a partnership with the aim to invest in the development of the infrastructure necessary to allow the expansion of hydrogen mobility in Italy.

Air Liquide and Eni signed a Letter of Intent with the objective to enable the sustainable deployment of an extended network of hydrogen refueling stations in Italy. Firstly, the collaboration will include a feasibility and sustainability study for the development of the low-carbon and renewable hydrogen supply chain supporting the fuel cell vehicles market for heavy and light mobility. The partners will also identify the strategic locations for the positioning of hydrogen refueling stations in Italy.

The partnership will leverage Air Liquide’s expertise across the entire hydrogen value chain (production, transportation, storage and distribution) and Eni’s expertise in commercial and retail activities coupled with the availability of an extended network of service stations. This cooperation aims to promote the development of technologies, skills and infrastructures to enable hydrogen mobility, also evaluating partnerships with other relevant players.

Pascal Vinet, Senior Vice President and a member of the Air Liquide Group’s Executive Committee supervising Europe Industries activities, said: “Decarbonizing the transport sector is a major challenge of the energy transition. Implementing a H2 refueling stations network is a critical milestone along this journey. The alliance between a leader in hydrogen with an integrated global energy company such as Eni will pave the way to an extended access to hydrogen in Italy. Together with our long-standing partner Eni, we have the ambition to contribute to a more sustainable future through the use of hydrogen.”

Giuseppe Ricci, General Manager Energy Evolution at Eni, said: “The agreement with Air Liquide is a further step forward in the promotion of sustainable mobility. The decarbonisation of transport must make use of the synergy and complementarity of available technologies. For this reason, Eni has launched activities ranging from the strengthening of power systems for electric vehicles to the production of biofuels, from the distribution of biomethane to that of hydrogen, which is one the products to reduce emissions on which Eni intends to accelerate. At the beginning of 2022 Eni will open the first hydrogen refueling station in Italy in an urban environment in Mestre (Venice), followed by the second one in San Donato Milanese (Milan). Thanks to the agreement with Air Liquide, the cooperation between operators is strengthened for an even greater efficiency on the path towards energy transition."

About Air Liquide

A world leader in gases, technologies and services for Industry and Health, Air Liquide is present in 78 countries with approximately 64,500 employees and serves more than 3.8 million customers and patients. Oxygen, nitrogen and hydrogen are essential small molecules for life, matter and energy. They embody Air Liquide’s scientific territory and have been at the core of the company’s activities since its creation in 1902.

Air Liquide’s ambition is to be a leader in its industry, deliver long term performance and contribute to sustainability - with a strong commitment to climate change and energy transition at the heart of its strategy. The company’s customer-centric transformation strategy aims at profitable, regular and responsible growth over the long term. It relies on operational excellence, selective investments, open innovation and a network organization implemented by the Group worldwide. Through the commitment and inventiveness of its people, Air Liquide leverages energy and environment transition, changes in healthcare and digitization, and delivers greater value to all its stakeholders.

Air Liquide’s revenue amounted to more than 20 billion euros in 2020. Air Liquide is listed on the Euronext Paris stock exchange (compartment A) and belongs to the CAC 40, EURO STOXX 50 and FTSE4Good indexes.