Last month, Albert Ballbé, programme manager at the General Directorate of Industry at the Government of Catalonia, who is also leading the activities of the AER Working Group on Green Hydrogen, contributed to the European Backbone Talk “Why Regions Matter” organised by Hydrogen Metropole Ruhr.
An integrated hydrogen economy
Regions have a pivotal role in shaping the hydrogen economy. Hydrogen Metropole Ruhr, a German think tank that aims to support the Metropole Ruhr in becoming a climate-neutral and green industrial region, organised the European Backbone Talk “Why Regions Matter”. In this context infrastructure is crucial for the development of the hydrogen economy in the future, as it enables the distribution of hydrogen from the producing regions and ports to the industrial centers.
Albert Ballbé, programme manager at the General Directorate of Industry at the Government of Catalonia, highlighted Catalonia’s emerging role in the European hydrogen economy, leveraging its strategic initiatives, infrastructural advantages, and significant chemical industry.
In his intervention, he emphasised Catalonia’s commitment to sustainability, particularly in energy-intensive sectors, and its unique position as both a producer and consumer of renewable hydrogen. He further discussed Catalonia’s strategic geographic location, with major ports like Barcelona and Tarragona, enabling it to be a crucial hub for hydrogen distribution and international trade.
Strategic Approaches for a Sustainable Future
To successfully integrate into the European Hydrogen Backbone, Catalonia employs three key strategies: strategic pipeline routing to align with industrial needs, leadership in investment to build an integrated hydrogen economy, and a pragmatic approach to hydrogen types. This approach is essential for the region to establish a sustainable and efficient hydrogen economy. Albert Ballbé also mentioned the importance of Catalonia’s collaboration with other regions and its alignment with broader European hydrogen strategies.
About the AER working group on green hydrogen
The working group on green hydrogen was established in Autumn 2022, based on a proposal by Catalonia (ES) and supported by nine other regions. Since then the group has grown to gather 16 regions from all over wider Europe.
Regions chose to collaborate on the following topics:
- The hydrogen value chain: in particular how to involve businesses
- Decarbonisation of transports: transport carriers, trucks and buses
- Decarbonisation of the industry
- Green hydrogen production
- Support to or development of Hydrogen Valleys
The working group on green hydrogen is currently chaired by Albert Castellanos, Secretary for Business and Competitiveness of the Government of Catalonia, and gathers representatives from Abruzzo (IT), Valle d’Aosta (IT), Grand Est (FR), Fribourg (CH), Burgenland (AU), Denizli (TR), Mayo(IE), Flevoland (NL), Kosice (SK), Lower Austria (AU), Maramures (RO), Värmland (SE), Västra-Götaland (SE), Gaziantep (TR), Adana (TR), Donegal (IE).
It’s possible to join anytime!
If you are interested in collaborating with this working group, please fill in this short questionnaire so we can get to know you better and contact you. Working groups are exclusively for AER members. If you have any questions, you can contact Johanna Pacevicius, the AER Coordinator for Policy & Knowledge Exchange.
Upcoming activities
The working group will organise an online knowledge sharing event on renewable Hydrogen ecosystems in autumn 2024.
All members of the working group are welcome to suggest and lead an activity (study visit, knowledge exchange, project development…).
If you would like to share your experience at this event or suggest a new activity, you can contact Johanna Pacevicius, the AER Coordinator for Policy & Knowledge Exchange.
I want to set up a working group on another topic!
An AER working group provides a space for experience and knowledge exchange.
If you’re not yet sure exactly about the activities or the specific focus of the working group you would like to lead, but you know you want to be engaged and lead a working group, contact us!
We’ll schedule a meeting to specify needs. We’ll help you identify the topic and main objective of the working group you’d like to set up and make sure that
- this will indeed create value for you
- there is a match between expectations and resources
We’ll help you to develop a draft proposal on the focus of the Working Group and identify a few potential activities, which you will then be able to share with other AER members.
Photo credits: Business Metropole Ruhr GmbH/ E. Bergen
This article was written by Nicola Miceli, who did an internship on Policy & Knowledge Transfer at the AER Secretariat from January 2024 to June 2024.
