We promote the GetHyGA initiative, which aims to bring together a large number of projects to be developed in the region related to hydrogen from the energy, economic, industrial and development points of view. The Vice-president and Minister of Industry, Competitiveness and Business Development of the Government of Aragon, Arturo Aliaga, defines the initiative “GetHyGA as a tool to continue consolidating a hydrogen energy and technology pathway in Aragon”.
For Aliaga, GetHyGA adds to a long process that began in Aragon almost two decades ago, a period in which Aragon has been committed to and has carried out diverse and fruitful research into hydrogen that “has allowed our autonomous community to position itself as a benchmark”. And he added, “this new action plan promoted by the Aragon Hydrogen Foundation will allow us to create an industrial ecosystem, what is already known as a hydrogen valley, which will contemplate not only the production and consumption of hydrogen as a source of energy, but also, something that is key, its transport, storage and integration into industrial processes”.
GetHyGA is a global initiative that aims to bring together a large number of projects to be developed in the community related to hydrogen from the energy, economic, industrial and development points of view. It is based on public-private collaboration and is open to the incorporation of new projects, as well as being aligned both with the region’s strategies and with the most relevant national or European programmes on the subject, as well as with the policies being developed in this respect by the surrounding territories.
The five main areas of GetHyGA are energy and environment, reindustrialisation and industrial reconversion, promotion of R&D&I, training, skills and talent, and definition of regional policies. The starting point for this initiative is the track record and national and international leadership that Aragon has enjoyed for almost two decades in the promotion of hydrogen technologies, fuel cells and renewable energies, for the benefit of the general interest of its citizens, companies and society.
Aragon Hydrogen Master Plan 2021-2025 Approved
GetHyGA is closely related to the Hydrogen Master Plan for Aragon 2021-2025, which has already been approved by the Board of Trustees of the Aragon Hydrogen Foundation. This document, the Foundation’s fourth Plan, is key to continue identifying opportunities in the development of hydrogen technologies in Aragon, as well as to establish specific actions that involve entities in its implementation, with the ultimate purpose of creating wealth in the region and helping to meet the national and European objectives of decarbonisation of the economy.
Once approved, the Foundation adopts the Plan as the basic working document and undertakes to disseminate it among society and to submit it to the different Public Administrations and relevant organisations in order to achieve maximum support. Among other aspects, the Plan states that, during the 2016-2020 period, Aragonese entities have participated in 77 research and promotion projects on hydrogen and fuel cell technologies, which have led to the investment of 35.2 million euros in Aragon and have obtained 25.9 million euros in the different public calls – mainly European – to which they have applied.
The Board of Trustees, in addition to approving the 2020 accounts, a year in which the Foundation ended with a positive result, reviewed the activity carried out in recent months, noting that in 2020 and 2021, 17 new projects have been approved and initiated, under programmes such as those of the FCH JU (Fuel Cells and Hydrogen Joint Undertaking, a public-private partnership that promotes research in Europe, technological development and demonstration activities on hydrogen with the participation of the European Commission, industries and research centres), Life+, Interreg, H2020, EMPIR, S3 Hydrogen Valleys Platform, Innovative Business Groupings (AEI) of the Ministry of Industry or the Aid Programme for Industry and SMEs in Aragon (PAIP) of the Government of Aragon.
Among the promotion and dissemination activities launched is the call for the second edition of the Aragon Hydrogen Foundation Awards, which already have sponsors: the Redexis Foundation will sponsor the prize for the Best Doctoral Thesis, endowed with 2,000 euros. Idom and Vea Global will do the same with the award for the Best Master’s Thesis (1,000 euros) and Ercros will support the award for the Best Final Degree Thesis (800 euros).
The Board of Trustees also approved the membership of the companies Acciona, Ignis Energía, Equimodal, Grupo MLN and Carreras Grupo Logístico, undoubtedly good news that strengthens and expands the scope of action of the Foundation, which continues to add leading companies in their respective fields of activity.
