An investment of approximately €6.7 million to integrate energy production, green hydrogen and lifting applications, while continuing the redevelopment of the former Eridania sugar factory site.
On Wednesday, 7 October 2026, at its Sarmato production site, JMG Cranes inaugurated its Hydrogen Valley: a strategic project that converts renewable energy into green hydrogen, integrating production, storage and distribution to power industrial applications and the company’s self-propelled cranes.
The inauguration marks not only a new technological milestone, but a decisive step in JMG’s vision : developing practical, efficient and sustainable energy solutions designed around the real needs of those working every day in industrial lifting and material handling.
The ceremony brought together representatives of institutions, industry and organisations involved in the energy transition. Alongside Maurizio Manzini, President and CEO of JMG Cranes, speakers included Vincenzo Colla, Vice-President of the Emilia-Romagna Region; Franco Albertini, Vice-President of the Province of Piacenza; Jacopo Labò, Deputy Mayor of Sarmato; Nicola Parenti, President of Confindustria Piacenza; and Stefania Crotta, Director General at the Italian Ministry of the Environment and Energy Security. Their participation confirms the project’s importance not only for JMG, but also for the local area and the broader green-hydrogen development strategy: the Sarmato facility is one of only two of its kind in Emilia-Romagna and one of twelve operating nationwide.
Cinzia Pallini, CFO of JMG Cranes and Hydrogen Valley project lead, made a decisive contribution, steering the two-year project and coordinating investment, technical expertise and dialogue with institutions. The result is a €6.7 million infrastructure project, supported by €4.7 million in NRRP funds made available by the Emilia-Romagna Region for the recovery of disused industrial areas and €2 million invested directly by the company: a tangible example of cooperation between public resources and entrepreneurial vision.
The Hydrogen Valley is a major new step in the regeneration of the former Eridania sugar factory, transforming a long-disused area into a forward-looking production and technology hub. Here, JMG has developed its “Crane City”, a complex covering approximately 200,000 square metres, including 14,000 square metres for production and 37,000 square metres of green areas.
The redevelopment extends beyond the site itself: the yards were also built according to circular-economy principles, reusing materials recovered from the demolition of the former plant’s last silo. Demolished in 2026 through an operation funded directly by the company, the structure dated back to 1978; the historic brick chimney, more than 120 years old, was preserved as an example of industrial archaeology. The project therefore combines local heritage, environmental regeneration and innovation, restoring value to a place that symbolises Sarmato’s industrial history and opening it to a new phase of sustainable development.
The configuration described by JMG includes a 1-megawatt electrolyser, a dedicated photovoltaic plant with a total peak capacity of 1.95 megawatts, and a 1.125-megawatt-hour electricity storage system, together with hydrogen compression and distribution systems.
The storage system retains electricity generated by the photovoltaic plant for use when solar production is unavailable. When this energy is insufficient, the plant draws on grid electricity certified as fully renewable. The system also supplies hydrogen at pressures of 200 or 350 bar for different industrial applications.
One of the most significant benefits of fuel cell technology is operational continuity. During the inauguration, Maurizio Manzini, President and CEO of JMG Cranes, stated: “Our hydrogen-powered cranes can be refuelled in 15 minutes, compared with the eight hours required to recharge batteries.” In lifting and material-handling operations, where every period of downtime affects work organisation, this reduction can mean greater machine availability, more continuous shifts and more flexible operations.
“We chose to invest in this valley and in an Italian supply chain,” Manzini said, summarising a strategy that goes beyond replacing one energy source with another. The Hydrogen Valley allows JMG to oversee the entire process — renewable production, storage, distribution and use on machines — and turn experimentation into industrial expertise developed locally. Refuelling-time comparisons must nevertheless be considered in relation to the specific machine configuration, tank capacity and charging method; the company’s core objective remains to combine zero tailpipe emissions, autonomy and rapid return to operation.
JMG’s hydrogen journey includes the MC250.09FL Fuel Cell crane truck, presented at Hydrogen Expo 2025 and recognised at the Italian Hydrogen Technology Awards in the applied innovation category.
In the system developed for this model, the fuel cell recharges a lithium battery that powers the machine, integrating hydrogen into the vehicle’s electric architecture.
The Hydrogen Valley now offers an infrastructure in which to build experience, collect data and further explore the use of hydrogen in industrial material handling. For JMG, the project’s value lies in the opportunity to study energy, refuelling and machine applications together, turning research into knowledge that supports product development.
Contatta JMG Cranes to learn more about the Hydrogen Valley, the technologies developed and their potential applications for your business.
JMG Cranes designs and manufactures battery-powered electric self-propelled cranes from 0.9 to 70 tons that find application in a wide range of industries.
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