As one of nine such projects taking place throughout Europe, the EU is providing 8 million euros to establish Ireland’s first “hydrogen valley” in Galway port.

The multimillion-euro green energy project, which intends to create hydrogen fuel in Galway for industries along the Atlantic seaboard and for use in air, sea, road, and rail transportation, has received a big boost from the EU financing.

When water is electrolyzed into oxygen and hydrogen using a clean main energy source, hydrogen fuel is said to have “zero carbon” emissions.

A “hydrogen valley” establishes a regional ecosystem that connects beneficiaries like transportation and industry with those engaged in research, manufacturing, and distribution.

The Clean Energy Partnership is a public-private program that the EU is funding to promote research and innovation in hydrogen technology across Europe.

SSE Renewables, a company that runs onshore and offshore wind farms in Ireland and Britain, is the driving force behind the Galway project, which is funded by the EU.

The business has partnered with the University of Galway, Galway Harbour Company, Bus Éireann, and Colas civil engineering firm. It has welcomed the EU Clean Hydrogen Partnership financing.

As suppliers of ferry and air transportation to and from the Aran islands, respectively, Aer Arann Islands, Lasta Mara Teo, and Aran Ferries are also involved. The shipping firms want to use hydrogen as a cleaner fuel.

According to a representative for SSE Renewables, the grouping, known as GH2, has a number of foreign partners to enable “knowledge transfer,” which is necessary for EU grant funding.

The GH2 consortium will now “begin negotiations with the Clean Hydrogen Partnership to progress the grant agreement, which is expected to be finished before the summer,” the representative for the group stated.

It claims that by the end of this year’s spring, it wants to submit a planning request for the Galway Hydrogen Valley to the Galway City Council.