Southern Finland’s hydrogen valley moves forward
Gasgrid participates in the BalticSeaH2 hydrogen valley project, which creates a vast, cross-border hydrogen valley in southern Finland and Estonia.
BalticSeaH2 will create Europe’s first large cross-border hydrogen valley. An integrated hydrogen economy in Southern Finland and Estonia reduces industrial carbon dioxide emissions and increases energy self-sufficiency. Connectivity to the Baltic Sea market increases investment conditions.
The Finland-Estonia hydrogen valley project is underway. The Clean Hydrogen Partnership will prepare a funding agreement to start the 5-year project in summer 2023.
44 partners from nine Baltic Sea countries—Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Germany, Denmark, Norway, and Sweden—form the project consortium. CLIC Innovation Oy and Gasgrid Finland Oy are project coordinators. The proposal is 33 million euros and projected EU grant 25 million. Clean Hydrogen Partnership funds REPowerEU hydrogen valleys.
Gasgrid Finland actively participates in the European Hydrogen Backbone (EHB) vision work for hydrogen infrastructure and market development.
Honda to uses solar energy to make green hydrogen in Offenbach
Honda’s European headquarters in Offenbach is getting a green hydrogen generating facility installed. Photovoltaic systems’ extra solar energy is used for it. The facility combines 749 kWp of self-generated solar energy from various photovoltaic arrays, a second-life battery storage unit, a uni-directional Honda Power Charger, bi-directional Honda Power Manager charging devices, and numerous battery-electric and hydrogen-powered vehicles.
Any extra electricity generated by solar systems is electrolyzed to produce green hydrogen. An effective technique to employ renewable energy in the transportation sector is through the decentralized production of renewable hydrogen from surplus electricity. In addition to providing emission-free vehicle operating, this method greatly lowers the cost of producing hydrogen. The unpredictable availability of hydrogen and the high energy expenditures associated with recharging, however, place a cap on the potential. As a result, Honda has created a fresh refueling idea for hydrogen cars. The emphasis is on time windows that, subject to the availability of renewable hydrogen, allow for energy-efficient and needs-based recharging.
Government of Argentina creates Intersectoral Hydrogen Table
In the face of criticism from the business community, the government of Argentina established a “Intersectoral Hydrogen Table,” a forum for public-private dialogue that enables the creation of a system to explore economic potential.
Expectations have been raised by investments of US$9 billion announced in recent years for the development of factories.
The foundation of the “Intersectoral Table” was mandated by Resolution 3/2023, which was issued by Secretary for Strategic Affairs Mercedes Marcó del Pont, in an effort to move closer to a National Strategy for the Development of the Hydrogen Economy. The new space will operate under the parameters of the Del Pont-controlled Economic and Social Council.
The interministerial space that already existed in regard to the hydrogen economy has been expanded with the establishment of the intersectoral roundtable. The national public sector, representatives from many provinces, as well as business actors, have all congregated in this area in recent years.
Green hydrogen in particular is viewed as a crucial component for the decarbonization of the transportation industry. As opposed to other fuels, it does not produce carbon dioxide (CO2), the primary greenhouse gas, making it a green energy source. As a result, the finished item is entirely sustainable.
