The Department of Energy at the Politecnico di Milano is launching a new scientific collaboration with 2G Italia to develop innovative solutions for the use of hydrogen and renewable fuels in engines for the combined production of electricity and heat.
The project, titled “Hydrogen and Dual-Fuel Supply in Internal Combustion Engines: Applications and Limits in Heavy Transport and Cogeneration”, directly involves two research groups from the Department of Energy: ICEG – Internal Combustion Engines and GECOS – Energy Conversion Systems.

The initiative aims to develop an advanced analysis of the state of the art of CHP (Combined Heat and Power) technologies and their compatibility with the use of hydrogen, biogas, and innovative low-environmental-impact fuel blends. The goal of the research is to support the evolution of increasingly flexible, efficient, and sustainable energy systems, in line with the requirements of the energy transition.
The contribution of the ICEG group will focus on the development and application of advanced numerical simulation models to optimize engine operation under different operating conditions and fuel compositions. Activities will include analyzing the impact of hydrogen blending on performance, emissions, and reliability, as well as assessing the limits of H₂ use in combustion processes.
The GECOS group will instead contribute to the system-level and energy assessment of the proposed solutions, with particular attention to energy conversion systems, techno-economic sustainability, and industrial applications with high thermal and electrical demand. The analysis will also include comparisons with low-carbon alternatives through LCA methodologies, Levelized Cost assessments, and Total Cost of Ownership evaluations.
The collaboration represents an important opportunity to enhance the multidisciplinary expertise developed by the Department of Energy in the fields of innovative engines, advanced thermo-fluid dynamic modeling, and technologies for the energy transition.