IMI 4MW PEM Electrolyser boosts green hydrogen production at API Sarpom refinery

IMI is supplying a 4 MW PEM electrolyser to the SARPOM Refinery in Trecate, Novara, Italy operated by IP Gruppo API.

The investment forms part of API’s ‘Impianto di Produzione Idrogeno Verde’ (Green Hydrogen Production Plant) project. Funded by the Piedmont Region through the Piano Nazionale di Ripresa e Resilienza (National Recovery and Resilience Plan), this initiative aims to produce green hydrogen using energy generated by two photovoltaic fields located within the refinery. These fields will deliver an estimated annual production of more than 8,500 MWh of renewable energy.

Hydrogen will be produced by a 4 MW PEM electrolyser designed and built by IMI, which will be installed in a decommissioned area of the refinery previously used for hydrocarbon storage. This area will be revitalised, aligning with the regional funding guidelines. The estimated annual production is at least 167 metric tons of renewable hydrogen, which will replace a portion of the non-renewable hydrogen currently used in refining processes.

Factory testing was completed in December 2024, and the final assembly of the electrolyser is already underway, with delivery and commissioning planned for the first half of 2025.

Giuseppe Buscemi, EMEA President of Process Automation at IMI, said: “This project showcases the power and versatility of our PEM electrolysers. We are pushing decarbonisation forward within heavy industry, and our work with API sets a great precedent as one of Italy’s first 4 MW PEM hydrogen electrolysers".

One of the IMI VIVO electrolyser’s key strengths is its electrical connection system. Use of Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistors’ (IGBT) high-frequency switching technology improves the quality of energy supplied to the electrolyser while also offering greater modularity, making the system more flexible.

Each skid-mounted module from IMI incorporates a complete system for water treatment, purification, and cooling, designed with robust safeguards at every stage. Advanced calculation techniques, such as finite element analysis (FEA), evaluate the impact of overpressure on oxygen vessels, while fluid dynamics simulations continuously monitor hydrogen leaks to ensure the efficiency of venting fans. Additionally, a detailed hazard and risk analysis (HAZOP) is conducted, informed by IMI’s experience in the oil & gas sector to ensure reliability and operational security.