The Aragon Hydrogen Foundation (FHa) has positioned itself as a key player in the development of the hydrogen economy at European level. Our entity has been a pioneer in the participation in hydrogen valley projects, becoming the only organisation in Europe present in the seven calls for proposals carried out to date.
Teresa Villuendas, coordinator of Hydrogen Valleys at FHa, explains the concept of a “hydrogen valley”. Beyond simply being a geographical location where hydrogen is produced and consumed, a hydrogen valley represents a demonstration of the entire hydrogen value chain, spanning from the initial production to the final use of hydrogen, involving a wide range of actors, from public bodies to private companies.
“When we talk about hydrogen valleys, we are talking about an H2 ecosystem that covers a specific geography. It can be regional, national or even international, as in the case of the North Adriatic Hydrogen Valley (NAHV) project that covers three different countries (Italy – Slovenia – Croatia),” explains Villuendas.
“A hydrogen valley is not just a place on the map where there is generation and consumption of renewable hydrogen (H2),” stresses Teresa. It is a living system that connects people, businesses and the environment. So, for such a project to be successful, it is essential that it involves all actors: from public administrations to small local businesses.
The birth of hydrogen valleys and funding
It all started in 2014-2020, with funding from Horizon 2020, within the Fuel Cells and Hydrogen Joint Undertaking (FCH-JU). In the beginning, this H2 ecosystem was not known as a “valley’”, but rather as a “hydrogen territory’” and was named by the BigHit project (2016-2020), located in the Orkney Islands, Scotland. Other projects funded by the same programme are HEAVENN (northern Netherlands) and Green Hysland (Mallorca). From this boom came the transformation, now known as ‘hydrogen valleys’.
Currently, Aragon Hydrogen Foundation is involved in several important European hydrogen valleys, such as HEAVENN, Green Hysland, NAHV, IMAGHyNE and SH2AMROCK. It is also close to starting participation in the Manthova project. These projects enable FHa to be at the forefront of hydrogen research and development and contribute to building a strong and sustainable hydrogen value chain.
At national level, FHa is an active member of the Basque Hydrogen Corridor. In addition, Aragon leads the GetHyGa initiative as a H2 valley in the region and is part of the Ebro Corridor, which includes Aragon, Navarre, the Basque Country and Catalonia, with the aim of promoting collaboration between these regions.
Aragon Hydrogen Foundation’s role in the hydrogen valleys focuses mainly on the replication of successful hydrogen valley models. This is carried out through the HTP Tool, software that allows to evaluate the capacities of a territory in terms of renewable hydrogen production as well as to optimise the implementation of the hydrogen valley, including the economic and social aspect. In addition, FHa’s work also lies in developing methodologies and strategies for the correct development of the hydrogen valley and its operation after the end of the project, as well as tools to help other regions to implement their own hydrogen valleys.
In short, the Aragon Hydrogen Foundation is a reference in the creation and development of hydrogen valleys. Our experience and knowledge allow us to contribute to the construction of a cleaner and more sustainable energy future.
