Increasing the use of renewable energy is a key challenge to be tackled in the pathway towards a low-carbon economy. Although several renewable technologies, such as solar or wind, are already widely available, they still face the barrier of intermittency which can hinder the stability of power grids. Also, in the case of freight transport, the use of renewables is again held back as the electrification of large vehicles is not technically feasible in the short-term.
Since North-West Europe is a major European logistic centre and produces renewable power in some remote areas, hydrogen technologies can play an essential role in the clean energy transition in the region, thanks to their capacity to store renewable-generated electricity. Using hydrogen is also particularly valuable for in-land (trucks, buses) and offshore (vessels) large transportation, since the technology allows electricity to be stored both in large quantities and for long periods.
The Interreg NWE Programme is therefore strongly engaged in supporting projects that can help to release the potential of hydrogen as an energy storage technology, directly benefiting our regions and citizens. Up to now, seven different projects are working on the development of new hydrogen solutions.
