- The pilot project involves an investment of 4 million euros and receives funding from the Fuel Cell and Hydrogen Joint Undertaking (FCHJU) program.
- The initiative, which will take place in the Port of Valencia, has the participation of the Port Authority, Valenciaport Foundation, National Hydrogen Center, MSC Terminal Valencia, Grimaldi Group, Hyster-Yale, Atena, Ballard Power Systems Europe and ENAGAS.
València –The Port of Valencia will be the first port in Europe to incorporate hydrogen energy to reduce the environmental impact of its operations. The project will start with the use of a reach stacker and of a terminal tractor, used to manipulate containers, both powered by hydrogen batteries. The initiative is promoted by the Port of Valencia and is part of its strategic plan for the development of renewable energies. The pilot project, called H2Ports, also includes the installation of a mobile hydrogen supply station, or “hydrogenera”, which in the initial phase of the project will work in the Grimaldi (Valencia Terminal Europa) and MSC terminals in the Port of Valencia.
This station will be developed with criteria of safety and economic profitability with the aim of contributing to the decarbonisation of the logistic-port chain.
The H2Ports project will entail a total investment of 4 million euros and, in addition to the Port Authority of Valencia, the Valenciaport Foundation, the National Hydrogen Center, and the private companies MSC Terminal Valencia, Grimaldi Group, Hyster-Yale, Atena, will participate. Ballard Power Systems Europe and ENAGAS. This project has received funding from the Fuel Cells and Hydrogen Joint undertaking (FCHJU) . This public-private partnership is the European body that promotes the adoption of hydrogen as a low-emission alternative and receives support through the Research and Innovation programs Horizon 2020 of the European Union, Hydrogen Europe Research and Hydrogen Europe .
Within the framework of its energy strategy, the Port of Valencia incorporated in 2017 the use of hydrogen and fuel cells as an alternative energy, in its objective of continuous improvement in the reduction of emissions and the so-called Carbon Footprint.
The strategy received a definitive boost in June 2017 when the Port Authority and the Valenciaport Foundation signed a collaboration agreement with the FCH JU for their participation in the Regions and Cities initiative with the aim of promoting the use of hydrogen and fuel cells in the Port of Valencia. With the aforementioned agreement, APV and Fundación Valenciaport are part of the more than 88 regions and cities belonging to 22 countries of the European Union that have already signed this memorandum, among which are the cities of London, Reykjavik, Venice or Hamburg and the regions of Pays de la Loire or Rhin-Westphalia, among others.
The H2Ports project will demonstrate these new prototypes in real operations at the terminals of Grimaldi and MSC, thus becoming the first European port facilities that will use hydrogen-propelled machinery.
With the implementation of the actions derived from the H2PORTS project, the Port Authority and the port community continue on the path of finding less polluting fuels for their use in ports and thus contribute to the decarbonisation of the activities related to the transport.
The energy of hydrogen is an alternative energy source that can be used instead of coal or oil. This means that hydrogen is a viable source of energy, which does not pollute the planet as fossil fuels and biomass can do. These other fuels are based on carbon. However, when they burn, carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide are released into the atmosphere. When hydrogen burns, it combines with oxygen in the air to diffuse into water. The energy of hydrogen is recycled because its escape route is its conversion into water.
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