Alentejo Green Hydrogen Valley delivering integrated full-chain sustainable hydrogen ecosystem with technical, economic, social and environmental benefits and superior upscaling/replicability.

Projektinformationen

H2tALENT

ID Finanzhilfevereinbarung: 101137611

DOI

10.3030/101137611

EK-Unterschriftsdatum 28 Februar 2024

Startdatum 1 März 2024

Enddatum 28 Februar 2029

Finanziert unter

• Climate, Energy and Mobility

Gesamtkosten

€ 9 948 453,94

EU-Beitrag

€ 8 828 774,82

Koordiniert durch

UNIVERSIDADE DE EVORA
Portugal

Periodic Reporting for period 1 - H2tALENT (Alentejo Green Hydrogen Valley delivering integrated full-chain sustainable hydrogen ecosystem with technical, economic, social and environmental benefits and superior upscaling/replicability.)

Berichtszeitraum: 2024-03-01 bis 2025-08-31

Zusammenfassung vom Kontext und den Gesamtzielen des Projekts

H2tALENT aims at launching a flagship Hydrogen Valley in the Alentejo region, Portugal, consolidating the strong investments already in place and boosting the deployment of “green” hydrogen across the entire value chain — from local production to distribution and end-use — for a wide range of real-world applications in industry, mobility and buildings.

Over the next five years, the project foresees the deployment of 2.1 GW of electrolysers, the production of 80 ktons/year of green hydrogen, €2 billion in investments, and the creation of 5,000 jobs in the Alentejo region. Safe design and operation principles are applied throughout the project to ensure certified “green” hydrogen delivery.

H2tALENT will produce over 500 tons/year of hydrogen, to be used by off-takers across sectors including industry, mobility (public buses and trucks), and buildings (e.g. municipal swimming pools). The strategic position of Port of Sines is leveraged as a key multi-modal hub for interconnection and import/export, reinforcing its role in supporting a robust industrial ecosystem.

Additionally, the project will deliver digital twin tools to support optimal planning, operational performance and scalability, enabling replication in other European hydrogen valleys. Finally, H2tALENT fosters international cooperation, promoting knowledge exchange and replication in two follower valleys (Saxony and UK Midlands) while strengthening partnerships with Brazil and Morocco.

Arbeit, die ab Beginn des Projekts bis zum Ende des durch den Bericht erfassten Berichtszeitraums geleistet wurde, und die wichtigsten bis dahin erzielten Ergebnisse

During the first 18 months, the project made significant progress towards establishing an integrated ecosystem for "green" hydrogen production, storage, distribution and use. 29 partners from seven countries bring together expertise from energy producers, technology developers, infrastructure operators, research institutions and public authorities to deliver a complete hydrogen value chain.

Activities focused on four real-world demonstration sites: Sines Port as a strategic multi-modal hub, integrating large-scale hydrogen production with industrial applications; Alandroal mobility demonstrator for hydrogen-powered public transport and municipal vehicles; Évora building demonstrator, supporting hydrogen blending for heating municipal infrastructures and Culatra Island renewable energy community, integrating "green" hydrogen into local microgrids.

Across these demonstrators, we have already advanced engineering designs, permitting processes and procurement, including the Culatra modular system tender. Progress was also achieved in energy system integration studies and digital twin modelling, enabling optimal planning and operational strategies.

Key milestones include the approval of the second Grant Agreement amendment, integrating WinPower and Université Mohammed Premier after Fusion Fuel’s insolvency, ensuring continuity of key activities and maintaining schedules. We also launched the Alentejo Hydrogen Academy, offering upskilling opportunities for students, professionals and local communities, while rolling out public engagement strategies to improve acceptance of hydrogen technologies.

Despite challenges — including partner insolvency, regulatory approvals and logistical constraints for hydrogen distribution — the consortium successfully mitigated risks through strong governance, stakeholder coordination and adaptive planning. H2tALENT remains on track to position Alentejo as a leading European hydrogen valley.

Fortschritte, die über den aktuellen Stand der Technik hinausgehen und voraussichtliche potenzielle Auswirkungen (einschließlich der bis dato erzielten sozioökonomischen Auswirkungen und weiter gefassten gesellschaftlichen Auswirkungen des Projekts)

In the first 18 months, H2tALENT achieved major advances towards building an integrated "green" hydrogen ecosystem that goes beyond the current state of the art in Europe. It combines renewable hydrogen production, digital modelling and multi-sector "real world" end-use applications, setting new benchmarks for the deployment of large-scale hydrogen valleys.

A key innovation is full-chain integration — from production and storage to distribution and consumption. At Sines, we are preparing large-scale hydrogen generation for industrial use and potential export, leveraging its role as a multi-modal logistics hub. In Alandroal and Évora, demonstrators showcase innovative applications in mobility, building infrastructures and local blending. On Culatra Island, "green" hydrogen is integrated into microgrids, demonstrating solutions for energy autonomy within renewable-based energy communities.

We are also developing a digital twin platform to optimise planning, operation and replication of hydrogen infrastructures. This tool enables partners and stakeholders to simulate scenarios, evaluate performance and identify the most efficient pathways to scale up hydrogen ecosystems. Integrated with energy system modelling, these innovations provide critical insights for optimising future hydrogen grids at both regional and European levels.

H2tALENT supports the European Green Deal, REPowerEU and the EU Hydrogen Strategy, offering replicable business models that enable policy-makers, investors and technology providers to accelerate deployment of green hydrogen across Europe. With these advancements, H2tALENT positions Alentejo and Portugal as reference points for replicable hydrogen ecosystems, setting the cornerstones for broader European deployment.