Project Co-financed by the European Commission WHEC 2010 ZERO REGIO – Final Conference Approval Processes in Italy for Multienergy Stations and HFC Vehicles

Project Co-financed by the European Commission WHEC 2010

ZERO REGIO – Final Conference

Approval Processes in Italy

for Multienergy Stations and HFC Vehicles

Sandro Sutti

18.05.2010, WHEC, Essen, Germany


PREMISE

In Italy authorization processes are slow:

The situation can become very complicated, in the absence

of reference standards

- many institutions involved,

- many steps to follow,

- many documents to produce.


Nov 2004. Zero Regio starts. Italy has no specific legislation concerning:

- the design and construction of H2 multi-energy stations;- H FC vehicles

The situation could be critical.

Fortunately, a Special Committee of experts ……


The first draft they produced covers:

“fire prevention and protection in Hydrogen Vehicles refuelling stations”

This draft is called “Regola tecnica per gli impianti di distribuzione di idrogeno per autotrazione” (Technical rule related to Hydrogen Vehicle refuelling stations).


This draft is approved in 2004 by the Technical Scientific Central Committee for Fire Prevention of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and, afterwards, by the European Commission.


THE MULTIENERGY STATION APPROVAL PROCESS: JOYS AND SORROWS OF A LAW


ENI (Zero Regio Team)

SPORTELLO UNICO (MTH)

ARPA ASL FIRE BRIGADE

REVENUE OFFICE

REGIONELOMBARDIA

MUNICIPAL BUILDIGN

COMMISSION

TERNA

MULTI-ENERGY STATION APPROVAL PROCESS


January 2004. First conformity advice by Fire Brigade

August 2003. Application conventional multifuel station

in Mantova


May 2006. The final approval

The actual approval process was far more complicated than the one described above.

July 2005. Hydrogen facilities service station. Extensive safety analysis….The draft on ‘Fire prevention …”


Everyone happy now?

Not exactly!

The “Technical rule …..” becomes a NATIONAL LAWAugust 31, 2006


The law:- incorporates all the suggestions from the Technical Group of the Italian partners of Zero Regio;

- i.e. hydrogen at 350 bar (as provided by Zero Regio), either shipped-in or produced by an on-site unit with a production capacity of 50 Nm3 / h H2

But it presents a negative surprise: it increases by 50% the safety distances between that equipment which provides hydrogen at 350 bar.


This causes problems in Mantova’s service station, the construction of which began in 2006: it had been designed with distances shorter than those prescribed by the new regulation.

Why were the distances increased?

No one among the partners knows...

Some assumptions..


2006/2007. A process of mediation between the technical group of ZR and Mantova’s Fire Brigade can finally reach a shared solution.

September 2007. OPENING ceremony, 10 months delay


The delay, which would also affect the start of the demonstrations, is buffered by using of a mobile hydrogen filler made available by Sapio.


ALSO…. THE INTERNAL PROCEDURES OF THE COMPANIES INVOLVED SLOWED DOWN THE IMPLEMENTATION PROCESSES...

This caused a delay in the completion of the on-site hydrogen production unit, which was inaugurated in July 2008.


The delay is buffered by using shipped-in by Sapio.


In Italy the approval of a vehicle for road usage follows a pre-defined path.

A more complicated one for hydrogen based prototypes: no nationally-accepted technical rules for construction and validation.

THE APPROVAL OF THE PANDA HYDROGEN FLEET


The approval of each FC hydrogen FIAT Panda took on average 6 months. This is acceptable in view of Italian bureaucracy.

3 prototypes, 3 different approval paths!


Motor Vehicles, Department of Transportation Ministry

FIAT RESEARCH CENTER (CRF)

FIAT GROUP

PANDA HYDROGEN FUEL CELL APPROVAL PROCESS

Automotive Test Center (CPA)


In summary, the path:

1) CRF submits the request for approval of the vehicle + highly detailed technical reports

2) CPA analyses the technical documentation and requires a set of tests, according to reference standards.

3) Tests are performed according to CPA directives.

4) Then, after ……, after ….., and after……. , the Certificate of homologation for the prototype is produced and a numbered plate is delivered.


The approval is granted, but with the following requirements:

- maximum pressure of hydrogen in the tank: 200 bar

- to transit, an authorization must be sought from any entity that owns any road you want to transit on

Everyone happy now?

Not exactly!


The limitations have important consequences:

1. Other restrictions:

1.1 A town council (Town Hall) close to Mantua exerted great resistance to granting permission to transit the council’s roads, considering the Panda Hydrogen like a hydrogen bomb.


1.2 The Board of Directors of the Brenner motorway (A21) has granted the Panda Hydrogen permission to transit, northbound only up to Rovereto, where galleries begin. This resulted in the inability for Panda Hydrogen to transit in tunnels on the A21.

1.3 Even worse, the motorway Society “Autostrade per l’Italia” did NOT grant any authorization to transit.


2. heavy bureaucratic burden for Mantova Town Hall

3. demonstration activities re-dimensioned, as a result of reduced car autonomy, more frequent refuellings, time-wasting, loss of motivation in pilots

4. a definite obstacle to the spread of culture and acceptance of hydrogen as an energy carrier


CONCLUSIONS/PROSPECTS

Zero Regio has highlighted the inadequacy of the existing Italian regulatory system …..

The Italian section of the project has achieved all targets set in the contract, but paid a price for it


Zero Regio, however, catalyzed the adoption of a pioneering law that will facilitate the future expansion of infrastructure for production and distribution of hydrogen for mobility ….

ZR partners realized that any technical proposal must be based on solid scientific evidence.


With this purpose, ZR partners are supporting by the time the National Fire Brigades Working Group, promoting training and awareness through national events such as those to be held in Rome May 19, 2010.


The revision of the safety limits and distances imposed by the DM 31/8/2006 is in sight, and its likelihood is fair.

A draft on the transportation and distribution of hydrogen by pipeline is at an advanced stage of preparation

We're seeing the fruits of this work.


Even so, CRF, which has subjected the vehicles to tests by the CPA of Torino at the end of the demonstration activities, is awaiting answers from the Ministry concerning the removal of prescriptions.

The same cannot be said in regards to the approval processes which are applied to fuel cell vehicles. The final version by the Working Group at the Ministry is long overdue and still far from ready.


The main lesson to be drawn from Zero Regio, as from many other innovative projects, is as follows:

The legislations regarding the civil use of hydrogen must be urgently harmonized across Europe.


While waiting for this, the two main Italian Ministries of reference for Zero Regio Project (Ministry for Internal Affairs and Ministry for Transport) should be brought to seriously consider the contradictions of the Italian legislation on hydrogen.

On the one hand, in multienergy stations hydrogen can be produced on-site and sold at 350 bar, while, on the other hand, no vehicle has the possibility to use hydrogen at such pressure!


Dott. Sandro Sutti

Mantova Town HallTel. +39.(0)376.415790 Fax 0376 Cell.+39 333 8054 566E mail: [email protected]

Thank you for your attention!

Documents

Project Co-financed by the European Commission WHEC 2010 ZERO REGIO – Final Conference Approval Processes in Italy for Multienergy Stations and HFC Vehicles