In Serravalle, in the province of Trento, catalyzed membranes for water electrolysis—essential for green hydrogen production—are being manufactured. With an initial investment of €50 million, the 14,000 m² facility is already operational with 30 employees and aims to triple its workforce within four years.
UFI HYDROGEN, a company of the UFI Group specializing in the development of innovative technologies across the green hydrogen value chain, has officially begun producing catalyzed MEA (Membrane Electrode Assembly) membranes for green hydrogen production via water electrolysis using renewable sources.
The new plant is located in Serravalle, at the heart of the Hydrogen Valley promoted by the Autonomous Province of Trento, in a strategic area characterized by numerous hydroelectric plants—ideal for technologies requiring clean, continuous energy.
Built with an initial investment of €50 million, the production site covers a total area of 14,000 m², of which 6,000 m² are indoors. It is already staffed by a team of 30 professionals from 11 countries, with the goal of tripling its workforce in four years, also thanks to the return to Italy of highly specialized skills.
A CONCRETE VISION FOR A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE
“It is finally becoming a reality the intuition born in 2017, when the UFI Group began developing advanced materials for hydrogen-related applications,” commented Giorgio Girondi, Chairman of UFI HYDROGEN. “We firmly believe in the potential of green hydrogen as a solution complementing electrification to tackle the challenges of the energy transition, especially in the hardest-to-decarbonize sectors.”
“We are the only Italian company specialized in the implementation and industrialization of PEM – Proton Exchange Membrane – MEA CCM – Catalyst Coated Membrane: catalyzed membranes applied to water electrolysis for green hydrogen production. We are operating with the production of our first-generation membranes, and we are already working on the second generation, more efficient and sustainable, with the aim of reducing iridium content—one of the most critical precious metals in electrolysis processes,” added Marco Lazzaroni, CEO of UFI HYDROGEN. “Thanks to this plant, we have transformed years of R&D work into industrial production.”
UFI’S TECHNOLOGICAL LEADERSHIP ON A EUROPEAN SCALE
UFI HYDROGEN is active in developing membranes for all four key green hydrogen technologies: production via electrolysis, electricity generation through fuel cells for zero-emission mobility and stationary applications (Power-to-X and Power-BackUp), CO₂ conversion for e-fuels synthesis, and MEA for electrochemical hydrogen compression. A broad and distinctive technological portfolio places it among the most dynamic and innovative players in the sector at the European level.
UFI HYDROGEN is also the only Italian company selected for the fourth “wave” of the European IPCEI Hy2Move program, dedicated to hydrogen development for mobility. As part of this project, UFI HYDROGEN will receive approximately €22 million over the next four years, allocated in particular to the second key hydrogen application technology: membranes for fuel cells and fuel cells themselves for clean energy production in road, marine, aviation, and industrial transport.
The project is implemented with support from the Autonomous Province of Trento and in collaboration with the Bruno Kessler Foundation (FBK), a strategic partner for research activities on MEAs.
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