Dear Friends,

As the summer break approaches, I hope we all find some time for relaxation. However, we still have important work ahead in the coming days and weeks.

We must take crucial steps to position our Association for long-term stability and support research and innovation in Europe. This is a driving force for me, the Executive Board, our colleagues at the Secretariat, and all of you.

Recently, we have made significant progress in maintaining HER as a strong European think tank. We drafted an updated research position paper and mapped research and technology infrastructures in Europe. These are vital assets for advocating a future beyond the Joint Undertaking and will be crucial when proposing the research needs for FP10.

At the General Assembly in Budapest, we renewed our Executive Board. I am thankful for the trust you have placed in me and the other Board members. Our effort will be at the maximum. I welcome two new members of our Board, Javier Dufour and Jakub Kupecki. I appreciate your solid motivation and I look forward to a productive collaboration. Along with all the other Board members, we form a strong team with a renowed collaboration spirit.

We also prepared a first pitch on the future Joint Undertaking: a new proposal for a programme where I see research and innovation as essential for European competitiveness, alongside industrialization and market creation. We need a stronger program, a unified direction, and more resources to maintain European industrial leadership in hydrogen technologies.

I will focus on advancing this in the coming weeks and months. I am confident this will reinforce your trust in the value of Hydrogen Europe Research. 

I wish you a nice and relaxing Summer!

HYDROGEN EUROPE RESEARCH NEWS AND ACTIVITIES

Young Scientist Award 2024 – competition launched!

We are thrilled to announce the 2024 Young Scientist Award, hosted by Hydrogen Europe Research! This prestigious annual competition honors promising young researchers (35 years old or younger) from our member organizations who have made significant contributions to hydrogen-related projects.

The competition focuses on four pillars aligned with the Clean Hydrogen Partnership framework:

• Hydrogen Production
• Hydrogen Storage and Distribution
• Hydrogen Usages
• Cross-Cutting Activities (safety, regulations, education, etc.)

One young scientist will be recognised within each pillar, and an additional one will be elected the "Best Researcher of the Year," resulting in a total of five awards.

Eligibility Criteria:

• Must be 35 years old or younger
• Must be affiliated with a Hydrogen Europe Research member organization
• Demonstrate individual involvement in at least one hydrogen-related project
• Participation in FCH JU projects is a plus

The award ceremony will take place in person in Brussels, at Brussels Expo, during the Hydrogen Week 2024 (18-22 November).

Click here to learn how to participate! Don't miss this chance to showcase your innovative work and be recognized among the best in the hydrogen and fuel cell sector!

Hydrogen Europe Research’s Members Pavilion at the European Hydrogen Week 2024

We are excited to announce that we will exhibit again in Brussels at the European Hydrogen Week on 18-22 November 2024!

Building from last year's success, the week is one of the biggest annual events dedicated to hydrogen with a series of great activities all around the most abundant element in the universe. During the 5 days, thought-provoking discussions with some of the most prominent stakeholders in the hydrogen sector will take place, covering the most pressing topics facing this new industry: the need for both urgency and pragmatism in creating the regulatory framework, the unique challenges different sectors face to decarbonize and how hydrogen can help, and how to remain a leader in an industry that has caught the attention of the rest of the world.

Next to the different conference streams, an exhibition will also take place. Based on the success of the past editions, this year the expo floor is expanded into two halls for a total of over 8000 sqm, ready to welcome more than 8000 attendees.  

Like last year, Hydrogen Europe Research members are welcome to participate in our Pavilion!

Joining our pavilion offers an unparalleled opportunity to showcase your projects to a diverse and engaged audience. With a platform designed to amplify innovation, our pavilion provides a dynamic environment where your ideas can shine, and your research activities take centre stage.

If you are a Hydrogen Europe Research member and you are interested in having a stand, do not hesitate to contact Simona at s.vitali@hydrogeneuroperesearch.eu!

We only have 1 spot left! Secure it before it is too late!

Joint Statement for an Ambitious FP10

We are proud to announce that we have signed the Joint Statement for an ambitious FP10!

Alongside EARTO – European Association of Research and Technology Organisations and our esteemed research and industrial partners, we stand united with 109 European Associations urging EU Institutions to significantly increase the FP10 budget. Our collective voice emphasizes the critical need to prioritize pan-European collaborative research to meet industrial demands and enhance EU competitiveness.

Download the full Joint Statement and see the list of signatories here!

HER Dinner with Hungarian Stakeholders – 12 June 2024, Budapest, Hungary

On June 12, key stakeholders from the hydrogen sector gathered in Budapest for a discussion dinner to explore and advance the hydrogen agenda in Hungary. The discussion dinner fostered collaboration among government, industry, and research stakeholders. We wish to thank all the Hungarian stakeholders who participated in our discussion dinner: as Hungary continues to advance its hydrogen agenda, the insights and strategies shared during this event will play a crucial role in shaping a sustainable and energy-independent future for Europe as well.

HER General Assembly in Budapest – 13 June 2024

On June 13, we convened in the beautiful city of Budapest to discuss our association's important business and elect a new Executive Board. The session was both productive and engaging, filled with insightful discussions and strategic planning for our future.

We are thrilled to announce the re-election of the following Board members:

• Luigi Crema, Fondazione Bruno Kessler - FBK, as President
• Christian Sattler, German Aerospace Center (DLR), as Treasurer and Vice-President
• Julie Mougin, CEA-Liten, as Hydrogen Production Technical Committee Leader
• Ekain Fernandez, TECNALIA Research & Innovation, as Hydrogen Distribution Technical Committee Leader
• Steffen Møller-Holst, SINTEF, as Transport Technical Committee Leader
• Viviana Cigolotti, ENEA, as Heat & Power and Industry Technical Committee Leader
• Ludwig Jörissen, Zentrum für Sonnenenergie- und Wasserstoff-Forschung Baden-Württemberg (ZSW), as Supply Chains Cross-Technical Committee Leader
• Guillermo Figueruelo Malo, Fundación Hidrógeno Aragón, as Hydrogen Valleys Cross-Technical Committee Leader

We also warmly welcome our newly elected Board members:

• Javier Dufour, IMDEA Energy, as Cross-Cutting Technical Committee Leader
• Jakub Kupecki, Instytut Energetyki - Państwowy Instytut Badawczy, as External Affairs Leader

Congratulations to all! We wish you great success and look forward to your contributions in your new roles.

A heartfelt thank you to everyone who applied to be part of the Board and to everyone who participated and made this assembly a success.

The next General Assembly will take place on November 18 in Brussels, during the European Hydrogen Week. Save the date! We look forward to meeting you there!

Green Skills for Hydrogen General Assembly, 28-29 May 2024

On 28 and 29 May, the partners of the Green Skills for Hydrogen project met in Greece for the general assembly of the project. After 2 years of activities, the project has delivered some key elements, among them the Hydrogen Skills Strategy, a Hydrogen Curriculum, as well as urgent training that took place in various European countries facing transition challenges.

The General Assembly was hosted by the Cluster of Bioeconomy and Environment of Western Macedonia (CLuBE), in Western Macedonia, between Kozani and Florina. A company site visit was organized during the first day, at B&T composite premises. The company manufactures innovative hydrogen storage solutions. During the work meeting, a hydrogen game was tested and enthusiastically received by attendees, interested in reiterating the experience in their classrooms.

SET4H2 kick-off meeting, 30 May 2024

On 30 May, the SET4H2 project was kicked off! This project is a coordination and support action funded by Horizon Europe that will last for two years. It aims at providing organisational, logistic and secretarial support to the newly formed Implementation Working Group (IWG) on hydrogen under the revamped Strategic Energy Technology (SET) Plan. This includes refining the IWG’s mission and identity, finalising the Implementation Plan (IP) and exploiting synergies with the activities of other SET Plan stakeholders and relevant European and international hydrogen initiatives. The activities of the IWG will cover research, development and innovation (R&D&I) support in hydrogen technologies along the entire value chain including cross-cutting issues. Hydrogen Europe Research is a partner in this project.

HYPERION Kick-off meeting, 18-19 June 2024, Florence

On 18^_19 June, the partners met in Florence for the kick-off of the HYPERION project! The aim of this project is to identify barriers to local hydrogen uptake and share best practices within regions to enable favourable policy changes for hydrogen activities.

Hydrogen Europe Research is taking part as an advisory partner, providing expertise on EU policies as well as on projects and on Hydrogen technologies to the 8 regions involved.

CLEAN HYDROGEN PARTNERSHIP UPDATES

Hydrogen Europe Research warmly thanks Ms Atanasiu for the great work she undertook over the past year and welcomes Ms Bouillon-Delporte. You can read Ms Bouillon-Delporte’s introductory statement here.

On the international cooperation front, the Clean Hydrogen Partnership signed, on 3 June, a cooperation agreement with Japan’s New Energy and Industry Technology Development Organisation (NEDO). This collaboration aims to accelerate the deployment of hydrogen technologies leading to the creation of a global hydrogen market. The full statement can be found here.

On 17 -18 June, the Clean Hydrogen Partnership and the European Commission co-organised the Hydrogen Valley Days. The agenda featured discussions with policy makers, investors and industry suppliers looking at shaping up such local hydrogen ecosystems and thus implementing the REPowerEU objective of doubling the number of Hydrogen Valleys in the European Union by 2025. More information on  Hydrogen Valleys can be found in the background document available here.

Regarding the 2024 Call for proposals, the Programme Office of the Clean Hydrogen Partnership is currently finalising the evaluations. Following the approval of the results by the Governing Board of the Clean Hydrogen Partnership, successful consortia will be contacted to enter the Grant Agreement Preparation phase. More information in the breakdown per topics can be found here.

In parallel, the second step of the process surrounding the next Annual Work Plan (AWP25) will begin in early July. Members from Hydrogen Europe Research and Hydrogen Europe will work internally on consolidated the topics that were considered in the first step. Following an iterative collaboration with the European Commission and Programme Office of the Clean Hydrogen Partnership, these topics will be finalised by the end of the year ahead of the publication of the 2025 Call for Proposals in January. Should you wish to get involved in the process, please get in touch with our Innovation Manager, Louis Mazurkiewicz (l.mazurkiewicz@hydrogeneuroperesearch.eu).

MEMBERS NEWS

WELCOME TO HYDROGEN EUROPE RESEARCH NEW MEMBERS!

We welcome new members interested in joining the European research and innovation ecosystem focused on hydrogen! If you are not part of the Hydrogen Europe Research membership and would like more information on how to join us, contact us at secretariat@hydrogeneuroperesearch.eu!

Click here to discover more about our membership criteria.

FEN Research

Fen Research is one of the research organizations within WIVA P&G, one of the winners of the Clean Hydrogen Partnership Award: “Hydrogen Valley of the Year 2023.”

MEMBERS' PROJECTS

Metrology for CCUS Project (MetCCUS)

The CCUS industry is paramount to achieving carbon neutrality by 2050. CO₂ Emissions from hard-to-abate sectors will rely on safe infrastructure for CCUS. For that reason, developing a metrological sound measurement infrastructure is at the forefront of the MetCCUS project.

Several members of Hydrogen Europe Research are participating in MetCCUS. The Research Institutes of Sweden (RISE) have led the production of a literature survey on commercially available cylinders for the preparation of Primary Reference Materials (PRMs) for CCUS, another literature survey on current state-of-the-art for the material compatibility of vessels for the sampling of CO₂ for CCUS and more recently a report about the experiments to test the sampling of impurities, against material, for key impurities and materials.

The National Physical Laboratory in the UK (NPL) and the Technical Research Centre of Finland (VTT) are conducting research on emissions monitoring of CO₂, as well as the measurement of other air pollutants resulting from the capture process.

SINTEF Energy Research is supporting the activities related to the metrology infrastructure for monitoring CO₂ gas-flow and CO₂ liquid-flow. They helped produce a report on the current state of the art of traceable liquid CO₂ flow measurement and liquid CO₂ primary standard requirements.

Academia is very much present considering that partners such as the Technical University of Denmark (DTU) and the University of Turin (UniTo), both HER members, lead various activities including the validation of methods for CO₂ purity analysis and the measurement of impurities in CO₂.

The MetCCUS project is coordinated by the VSL National Metrology Institute and over 20 partners. It will run until September 2025.

For more information, visit the MetCCUS website and follow the LinkedIn page.

EVENTS ATTENDED BY HYDROGEN EUROPE RESEARCH

EU Hydrogen Valley Days, June 18, Brussels

On June 18, Ludwig Jörissen, Hydrogen Europe Research's Board Member, moderated a session on skills at the EU Hydrogen Valley Days organised by the Clean Hydrogen Partnership. 

Panelists presented key initiatives such as Green Skills for Hydrogen, H2CoVE, HyAcademy, HyResponder and Green SKHy - Interreg North-West Europe Project, and shared their insights on how European projects contribute to skilling, upskilling and reskilling various audiences, including public authorities, technical workers, firefighters, investors and engineers.

We thank the Clean Hydrogen Partnership for organising engaging discussions throughout this two-day event!

DON'T MISS THE NEXT EVENTS!

International Workshop on Novel Routes to Green Hydrogen Production, 13 July 2024, Lyon

The EU project ELOBIO and the European Innovation Council are excited to announce the International Workshop on Novel Routes for the Production of Green Hydrogen, which will take place on 13.07.2024 in Lyon.

This workshop will allow researchers, industry professionals and policy makers to explore and discuss the latest advancements and future prospects in green hydrogen production. The workshop will feature keynote speeches from leading experts in the field to initiate interactive working group discussions. Main conclusions of the workshop will be summarized in a short report for policymakers to guide further funding in this crucial field for the energy transition.

Julie Mougin, Hydrogen Europe Research Board Member, will give a presentation on “Low-carbon hydrogen production by water electrolysis: Opportunities, challenges and trends of development”.

The Spring Summer School JESS 2024, 15-21 September 2024, Greece

The 21st edition of the Joint European Summer School – JESS2024 - will again take place close to the beautiful city of Athens on the coast of the Aegean Sea. It will provide six high-level modules on selected topics in fuel cell, electrolyser, battery and related technologies. JESS addresses newcomers to the field, graduate students, and young professionals working at the forefront of electrical energy and hydrogen technologies.

Please register by 31 July 2024 to secure your place in the School!

You can find more information here.

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