Applications have opened under the 2026 Project Development Assistance (PDA) call from the Clean Hydrogen Partnership, offering specialist consultancy to help complex projects reach final investment decision.<\/p>\n
The scheme targets so-called Hydrogen Valleys, integrated projects combining production, storage, transport and end-use, with a minimum \u20ac30m capital threshold and multi-sector participation.<\/p>\n
Strategic opportunity<\/strong><\/p>\n For ports and terminals, the PDA presents a strategic opportunity to position port projects at the centre of emerging hydrogen infrastructure ecosystems.<\/p>\n Rather than pursuing standalone upgrades, operators can use the programme to structure and de-risk projects that link port-based hydrogen production, industrial demand, hinterland distribution and maritime applications such as bunkering.<\/p>\n This model reinforces the role of ports as aggregation and distribution hubs within the hydrogen value chain.<\/p>\n By acting as consortium leaders or core partners, ports can leverage PDA support to develop bankable business cases, align stakeholders and navigate regulatory complexity – key barriers to scaling hydrogen infrastructure.<\/p>\n However, the scheme does not provide direct capital funding and excludes isolated assets, meaning ports must collaborate across sectors including energy, industry and mobility to qualify.<\/p>\n Early-stage port projects may therefore need to evolve into broader regional platforms to access support.<\/p>\n Further details are available from the Clean Hydrogen Partnership<\/a> and https:\/\/pda.h2v.eu\/en <\/a><\/p>\n