Smart Hydro Grid Project

A Significant Step Forward for the Smart Hydro Grid Project.
The 15 kW AEM electrolyzer cluster supplied by Enapter has now arrived at Techfem’s headquarters in Fano. It is destined for the pilot plant dedicated to testing the Power to Power application.

Smart Hydro Grid is an ambitious Research and Development project funded by the European Union – Next Generation EU within the framework of the Italian National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR), Mission 2, Component 2, Investment 3.5 “Research and Development on Hydrogen”.

The ultimate goal is the development of a Digital Twin platform to optimize energy performance in smart grids powered by renewable sources, with a particular focus on energy storage through hydrogen.

The consortium leading this joint project includes several Italian industry leaders: Techfem (lead partner), Centria S.r.l. (part of the Estra S.p.A. group), Regas, CretaES, and the University of Calabria, which holds scientific responsibility for the entire project.

The Fano pilot plant will serve as a testing ground for Power to Power operation: from hydrogen production using renewable energy, to its storage, and finally its reconversion into electricity through a fuel cell.

Beyond experimentation, the plant will also contribute to improving the energy efficiency of Techfem’s headquarters by providing an intelligent system for storing and reusing surplus renewable energy.

The project, currently in the materials procurement and upcoming construction phase, is set to be completed by December 31, 2025.