Italy will invest EUR 5.5 bn in Africa to enhance cooperation in the energy sector and position Italy as a hub to transport natural gas through to the rest of Europe, Reuters reports. A climate fund aimed at international environmental projects will provide EUR 3 bn, but aside from small projects — a renewable energy training center in Morocco and developing the biofuels sector in Kenya — it is unclear what other green initiatives the funds will target.

It’s not all smooth sailing: The plan was met with backlash from Italy’s green and opposition lawmakers, accusing the plan of being an excuse to exploit Africa’s resources, AP reports. “We are talking about initiatives that have already been presented in other contexts, only with a new stamp on them,” NGO ActionAid Italia’s Cristiano Maugeri said.

Africa would have liked to have a say: African Union Commission Chairman Moussa Faki Mahamat was disappointed that African nations had not been consulted prior to the plan’s announcement, Reuters reports. “I want to insist here on the need to move from words to actions. You can well understand that we can no longer be satisfied with mere promises that are often not kept,” he said.

Automaker Stellantis has kicked off in-house production of large and mid-sized hydrogen fuel cell vans in France and Poland, according to a company statement. The company will roll out eight fuel cell hydrogen versions of mid-size and large vans: Citroën ë-Jumpy and ë-Jumper, Fiat Professional E-Scudo and E-Ducato, Opel/Vauxhall Vivaro and Movano, and Peugeot E-Expert and E-Boxer. The company signaled it will carry out a full revamp of its van lineup last October, and will now launch second generation fuel cell systems giving its mid-sized hydrogen vans a 400 km drive range and extending a 500 km drive range for its larger van offering.

Japan mulling launching a hydrogen program this year: Japan may be accepting applications this summer for funding from its JPY 3 tn (USD 20.4 bn) program aimed at boosting hydrogen projects, Bloomberg reports. The program is part of Japan’s goal to increase its hydrogen consumption levels to 3 mn tons a year by 2030, 12 mn tons by 2040, and 20 mn tons by 2050.

The details: The government will select projects by the end of the year and subsidize specific forms of hydrogen production, such as covering the price difference to compete with natural gas, Bloomberg writes. Partial funding for the program will come from a new sovereign transition bond being issued next month. Japan aims to allocate JPY 3 tn over the next 15 years to transition away from fossil fuels.

OTHER STORIES WORTH KNOWING ABOUT THIS MORNING-

  • Air Liquide + TotalEnergies work on hydrogen refueling: France’s Air Liquide and TotalEnergies have established a JV to build hydrogen refueling stations for heavy-duty trucks across Europe. TEAL Mobility will establish over 100 hydrogen stations within the next decade, with the initial operation of around 20 stations in France, the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, and Germany this year. (Reuters)
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