Italian state-owned rail operator signs MoU to study hydrogen use for its network

The agreement with the gas transport group Snam will explore the feasibility of replacing fossil fuels with hydrogen on the national railway network

Italian state-owned rail operator Ferrovie Dello Stato (FS Italiane Group) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the gas transport group Snam to study the use of hydrogen for its network.

The partnership aims to set up a working group to assess pilot projects, which will focus on the replacement of fossil fuels with hydrogen.

The agreement will also see the companies working on technological solutions related to the production, transport, compression, storage, supply and utilisation of hydrogen.

Gianfranco Battisti, Chief Executive Officer and General Manager of FS Italiane Group, said: “Hydrogen rail transports are a fundamental innovation capable of increasing environmental sustainability for both freight and passengers’ transports on the remaining railway sections not yet electrified.”

Snam’s Chief Executive Officer Marco Alverà said: With this agreement, we are taking an important step in promoting a hydrogen value chain in Italy starting from sectors that are crucial for decarbonisation such as the transport of people and goods.”

The FS Italiane Group has more than 10,000 trains every day running on the national network.

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