In May, TECES joined the European Clean Hydrogen Alliance (ECH2A), which brings together stakeholders from industry, national and local public authorities, civil society and other stakeholders. The Alliance is the main consultative body for the implementation of the hydrogen strategy for a climate-neutral Europe, for the development of an investment program to promote the introduction of hydrogen and the establishment of a concrete set of projects.

We were accepted on the basis of the experience in managing the SHIFC platform - Slovenian Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Platform, which operated between 2005-2010, and enabled the participation of more than 30 Slovenian partners (companies, institutes, universities, research organizations).

Through the membership in ECH2A, TECES aims to raise awareness at national level of the use of clean hydrogen in the industrial pillars: - hydrogen production; - transmission and distribution of hydrogen; - hydrogen for industrial use; - hydrogen for mobility; - hydrogen in the energy sector; and - hydrogen for residential purposes

About the European Clean Hydrogen Alliance

The European Clean Hydrogen Alliance (ECH2A) brings together industry, national and local public authorities, civil society and other stakeholders. It is the EU's main consultative body for the implementation of The Hydrogen Strategy for Climate-Neutral Europe, for the development of an investment plan to promote the introduction of production and use of renewable and low-carbon hydrogen, and consequently for the preparation of concrete project investements.
Key ECH2A mesures supported by TECES through accession to the Alliance: - implementation of the EU Investment Plan, - stimulating demand and increasing production, - creating an enabling and supporting framework: support programs, market rules and infrastructure, - promoting hydrogen research and innovation strengthening the international dimension.

The ECH2A implementation element consists of six thematic working groups/round tables including the entire hydrogen value chain, from production to end use. 

• Hydrogen production, which includes electrolyzers, solar / wind / hydro, plant engineering, equipment, materials, carbon capture and storage (CCS) and pyrolysis.
• Transmission and distribution of clean hydrogen, focusing on pipelines, liquid organic hydrogen carriers (LOHC), liquid hydrogen (LH2) and ports.
• Clean hydrogen in industrial use, includes steel, chemicals, refineries, eKerosin / eFuel, fertilizers, industrial heat and cement.
• Clean hydrogen for mobility, which includes trucks / buses, light trucks, trains, ships, fuel cells, propulsion trains, tanks and hydrogen supply stations (HRS)
• Clean hydrogen in the energy sector, where topics covered include re-electrification, mega storage and grid balancing.
• Clean hydrogen for residential purposes, which includes district heating, combined heat and power (CHP) and solid oxide fuel cells.

The potential of hydrogen technologies

Hydrogen is gaining more and more attention in Europe and around the world. It can be used as a raw material, fuel or energy carrier in transmission and storage and offers many possibilities for use in the industrial, transport, electricity and construction sectors.

Most importantly, it does not cause CO2 emissions when used and does not pollute the air. It offers a solution to decarbonise industrial processes and economic sectors where reducing CO2 are necessary and difficult to achieve. As a result, hydrogen is becoming an essential element of the EU's commitment to carbon neutrality by 2050.

Nevertheless, hydrogen now accounts for only a modest proportion of the global and European energy mix and is still produced mainly from fossil fuels, especially natural gas, or coal, and emits 70 to 100 million tonnes of CO2 a year in the EU. We have seen periods of increased interest in hydrogen in the past, but this has not materialized. Today, however, the rapid reduction of energy costs from renewable sources, technological developments, and the urgent need to drastically reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Expectations from the ECH2A membership

Members of all three partnerships under the auspices of TECES, such as SRIP Smart Buildings and Home with a Wood Chain and the Slovenian Partnership for Energy and Environment in the Field of Defence (SiEnE) will be informed about ECH2A activities and opportunities for integration.

TECES will follow the findings of learning events and working groups (6) aiming to facilitate research, development, and innovation cooperation projects.

The first such event planned is a meeting of all ECH2A members in line of the European Hydrogen Forum between 17 and 18 June 2021.