The HYDEA project, led by the EnergyLab Technology Centre, and funded by the Interreg Atlantic Area 2021-2027 programme, was set up to boost the hydrogen transition in the Atlantic Area ports. One year after the launch, the 10 partners from Ireland, France, Portugal, and Spain have spared no effort and the first concrete results are in sight: creation of an interactive map of the main hydrogen initiatives in the Atlantic area ports, identification of the most promising hydrogen applications, bottlenecks and opportunities in ports of Brest, Leixões, Vigo, and Seville, and organisation of international discussions about safety and security issues.
An interactive map of the main hydrogen initiatives is available
This map contains information on the main present and planned initiatives related to hydrogen in ports in the Atlantic Area regions. It serves to locate the main projects, their characteristics and the partners that compose them. It offers a complete vision of the role that ports are taking in the hydrogen economy and a vision of the project models that are being carried out. The information on this map is completed throughout the project with partners’ searches, but also with information coming from promoters who want to make their respective projects more visible. It is freely available on the HYDEA project website.
Opportunities identified in several ports of the Atlantic Area
The first step was to identify the most promising green hydrogen technologies and applications, based on statistical analysis of the literature considering critical aspects like cost, energy efficiency and decarbonisation effects. Then, an important work was carried to describe the main technical, economic, social, and regulatory bottlenecks to the implementation of hydrogen-based infrastructures in ports in the study regions. This work was built on literature review and experts’ knowledge. Then, a study was carried out to identify opportunities for the development of the hydrogen economy in ports of Brest, Leixões, Vigo, and Seville, considering their reliance with the hydrogen value chains. All this work has led to public reports that can be downloaded from the HYDEA project website.
International discussions about safety and security issues in October
To reach the goal of greener maritime transport, ports, shipping companies and energy industries must work together to align their own transition plan, with realistic steps crossing the maturity of new green fuels, the availability of energy distribution network and appropriate transportation fleets. Indeed, there are several strategic challenges that must be identified, discussed, and mitigated. So, it is important to organise eventsto build a common vision and framework to set out a roadmap shared by all European stakeholders. In close collaboration with 4 European brother projects – GREEN SUPPLY CHAINS, NORTH SEA H2 VALLEY PORTS, DIOL, REDII Ports – the HYDEA partners are organising a workshop and an open discussion on 16 October 2024 in Brest, France, during the Sea Tech Week international event.
Photo credit: Athree 23/Pixabay
