Valencia shares hydrogen ambitions

The event aims to identify viable projects to help drive the adoption of green hydrogen across the European Union to help decarbonise the maritime industry.

During the meeting, Joan Calabuig, president of the Port Authority of Valencia and Josep Sanz, director of Energy Transition and Sustainability of the Valenciaport Foundation shared details of the three projects that make up the H2Ports initiative.

“In the development of this project, two aspects of hydrogen technologies have become clear – that their potential to contribute to a zero emission port is enormous, but also the challenges, in which the need for innovation, public financial support and collaboration between different types of actors are prerequisites for the successful deployment of this type of solution,” explained Sanz.

The first project tested the use of tractor running on hydrogen deployed at a RoRo terminal and the second involved the operation of a mobile hydrogen station. The third, a hydrogen-powered reach stacker, is expected to begin operations next month.

A plan to develop two ‘hydrogen valleys’, one in Valencia for mobility applications and the other in Sagunto for industrial consumption, was also discussed.

The Port Authority of València, the Valenciaport Foundation and the companies that make up the maritime-logistics-port cluster of Valencia have drawn up a plan to be net-zero by 2030.

The Clean Hydrogen Alliance aims to stimulate the production and use of clean hydrogen. It is organised into broad themes, namely production, transmission and distribution and its use in industrial applications, transportation, the power sector and residences.