Analysis of the existing barriers and of the suggested solutions for the implementation of Power to Gas (P2G) in Italy

To reach Italian National Energy goals, new technical and economic viable solutions are required to store the surplus of energy produced by renewable plants and to make it available when required. Power to Gas (P2G) is considered as one of the best available solutions even if many questions are still unsolved. Therefore, Italian Need-Owners such as local multi-utility companies, Authorities and other energy sector stakeholders needs in detail evaluations of technical performances, systems management and of necessary strategy for hydrogen market development. In fact, because of the limited performances data and of the great number of local factors that can affect P2G plants such as for example, but not limited to, the technical performances of renewable plants and of natural gas networks, market demand. Consequently, several concerns about hydrogen production, storage and utilisation are currently present due to the lack of a method to optimize the design and the implementation of P2G plants. For this reason, after the description of the reasons for the installation of P2G plants in Italy and of two projects at local and European levels that are going to be implemented by the Authors, the main technical, logistic, economic and regulative constraints for P2G application in Italy are identified and analysed in the first part of the paper. In the second part, possible solutions are evaluated and suggested to Italian Need-Owners to stimulate P2G implementation at national level.