- North Adriatic Hydrogen Valley launched in Portorož
A significant step towards green hydrogen production in Europe took place with the launch of the Northern Adriatic Hydrogen Valley (NAHV) project. Hosted in Portorož, Slovenia, the project saw the coming together of Croatia, Friuli Venezia Giulia (Italy), and Slovenia under the Horizon Europe program, with the backing of the Clean Hydrogen Partnership.
Kicking off in September 2023, NAHV is set for a six-year journey with a generous infusion of €25 million from the Clean Hydrogen Partnership. Overseeing the mission is HSE, Slovenia’s paramount electricity producer. This collaboration comprises 37 distinct entities ranging from businesses, academic institutions, to research entities, exemplifying the spirit of unified progress.
The project’s blueprint reveals an integrated green hydrogen value chain – production, storage, distribution, and application, especially in sectors like transportation and industry. A central objective is to establish a robust green hydrogen market. The partners envision 17 trailblazing projects, aiming to produce up to 5,000 tonnes of green hydrogen every year, sourced entirely from renewable energy. The synergy is also evident in the planned inter-country exchange of approximately 20% of this yield, seeding a vibrant regional hydrogen economy.
Given the European Green Deal’s directives, NAHV aspires to introduce revolutionary hydrogen technologies and concurrently enhance infrastructure. The projected investment trajectory for hydrogen is upward, with over €300 million expected to bolster production, storage, and utilization.
Recognizing the need for specialized expertise, partnering academic and research institutions are geared up to devise and impart innovative educational frameworks. This also aligns with job creation, a direct upshot of NAHV’s endeavours.
Tomaž Štokelj, CEO of HSE, expressed his conviction in hydrogen being pivotal to Slovenia’s environmental transition and aligning with the European Green Deal’s tenets. Massimiliano Fedriga, the leader of the Autonomous Region Friuli Venezia Giulia, spotlighted NAHV as a model of cross-border synergy that amalgamates sustainability, economic growth, and societal welfare.
Culminating this sentiment, Stephen Taylor, the NAHV joint task force coordinator, envisions the project as a holistic ecosystem for green hydrogen—one that fuses production with services and prioritizes community welfare.
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