Hydrogen Valleys: signed a joint declaration between European Commission and European stakeholders
The EU Commission and key stakeholders signed a joint declaration highlighting the crucial role of sustained efforts in renewable hydrogen research and innovation, and in order to commit to intensify and accelerate joint research, development, demonstration and deployment actions of Hydrogen Valleys.
The joint declaration “Moving the hydrogen economy from niche to scale” intends to upscale the EU’s hydrogen economy in order to meet the ambitious targets set by the Green Deal Industrial Plan, the REPowerEU Plan and the EU Hydrogen Strategy. Hydrogen valleys are projected to create a sort of ecosystems where clean hydrogen production, storage, distribution and end-use can be tested in real time on the base of efficacy, efficiency, and feasibility.
Through this declaration, the Commission together with the European hydrogen industry, scientific community, and European regions, commit to stepping up and accelerating joint actions in 6 different areas:
- Reinforcing the research and innovation agenda for clean hydrogen by providing a strategic framework aimed at accelerating the development and deployment of Hydrogen Valleys;
- Continued investments in research and innovation for clean hydrogen technologies, including via the Clean Hydrogen Joint Undertaking under Horizon Europe;
- Maximise funding impact by working together to strengthen synergies between partnerships;
- Promote knowledge sharing and partner matchmaking to build on the existing experience and accelerate successful development of new projects;
- Stimulate the development of education and training for skills, building on the existing initiatives across the EU;
- Spearhead the development of Hydrogen Valleys as steppingstones to incubate and grow a European – and by extension global – hydrogen economy.