The Clean Hydrogen Partnership Joint Undertaking, a public-private partnership that supports research and development of hydrogen technologies in Europe, today announced the results of the Horizon Europe tender: the North Adriatic Hydrogen Valley project, which is the result of the cooperation of Slovenia, Croatia and the Italian Region of Friuli Venezia Giulia, with Holding Slovenske Elektrarne (HSE) as the leading partner, has been awarded as much as 25 million euros in grants.
The North Adriatic Hydrogen Valley is the first European transnational project intended to establish a dedicated hydrogen valley. The three-country partnership, led by HSE, the country’s largest electricity producer and trader, features 34 organisations and covers the entire chain, from production to storage and distribution to the end use of hydrogen in various sectors, mainly industry and transport. Key industrial stakeholders from all three countries will develop pilot projects for the production of more than 5,000 tonnes of green hydrogen per year from renewable energy sources and its storage, distribution and use. The final goal of the project is decarbonisation of major industrial sectors, such as steel and cement production, as well as sustainable transport solutions related to reducing the carbon footprint. The project will run for 72 months; it starts this year, immediately after the date is coordinated with the European Commission, most likely in the second half of 2023.
Tomaž Štokelj, the Director General of HSE, said on the occasion: “We are proud that Holding Slovenske Elektrarne (HSE), the main producer of electricity from renewable sources in Slovenia, is the leading partner in the North Adriatic Hydrogen Valley project. It is an excellent example of international and multidisciplinary cooperation, which will enable a faster green transition to emission-neutral society by using hydrogen technologies and tapping into opportunities in the field of energy storage. This is also consistent with the mission and vision of HSE, which is to remain the largest producer of renewable electricity in the country and to establish itself as one of the main promoters of green transformation in Slovenia and the region through knowledge, experience and examples of good practice.”