Excellent Hydrogen Regions in Europe

Programme 2021 - 2027 Interreg VI-B North Sea

Date of latest update: 2025-02-03

Description

Description (EN):

On 14 July 2021, the European Commission presented the fit for 55 package with proposals to deliver the 2030 CO2 reduction target and pave the way to become the world's first climate-neutral continent by 2050.The REPowerEU plan published on May 18 2022, reinforces Europe's commitment to rapidly reducing its dependence on Russian fossil fuels. As part of the plan, the commission laid out its vision for a Hydrogen Accelerator, aimed at increasing both supply and demand for Hydrogen in Europe. Under REPower EU, the target for clean hydrogen consumption by 2030 increases from 5 million tonnes to 20 million tonnes. The market for Hydrogen applications in the North Sea Region is under construction, with some regions positioned as early adopters and others, often in rural areas, dipping a toe in the water. As a result, we see different hydrogen development paths in Europe and we are at risk of a rural-urban division in hydrogen adoption. Due to insufficient capacity and knowledge, authorities struggle to respond to increasing demands of the energy transition. EHRIN will strengthen their capability to impact and accelerate hydrogen development. Networks are drivers of change. One can say that Hydrogen development depends on the strength of the network. EHRIN aims at strengthening governance for hydrogen development. EHRIN develops strategies in the setting of three concrete Hydrogen projects, to optimize engagement with actors in networks. A transnational partnership ensures a rich exchange of knowledge and learnings. The Dutch partner is a front runner who want to increase its impact and through EHRIN the German and Swedish partners will catch up. Together with their networks partners will take a leap forward. The outcome of this project is a collaborative strategy, a stepwise approach that can be adopted by other European regions. And in this way, EHRIN supports regional authorities in translating Hydrogen aspirations into sound practice.

Actual Achievements (EN):

EHRIN started in June 2023 with a partner meeting hosted by the Provincie of Drenthe. We combined introductions with a joint planning exercise and visits to Hydrogen themed places of interest in the Municipality of Groningen showcasing its Hydrogen vehicles and Holthausen Clean Technologies - hydrogen automotive sector. All partners worked on activity 1 - 5: inventory of stakeholders, stakeholder engagement (outreach). The Amt fur regionale Landesentwicklung Leine-Weser conducted 18 expert interviews and produced a questionnaire template that was shared with other partners. They shared news on EHRIN on four different events reaching 160 participants and used multiple channels. Länsstyrelsen Skåne engaged with their stakeholders in a dialogue meeting. Five large hydrogen producers were invited. Hydrogen plans, barriers to development and needs for support were discussed. The stakeholders expressed a need for overview of the permitting and support in initiation of the process. As a result, Länsstyrelsen Skåne will draft guidelines for a permit application for hydrogen production. Also the work leading to the overall objective of understanding the processes for how an innovation takes off in Skåne/Sweden has started. In November EHRIN progress was discussed in a meeting hosted by our knowledge partner Aberdeenshire Council. The programme in the Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire regions offered opportunities to learn from other organisations engaged in developing their hydrogen economy including ETZ-energy transition zone, and Scottish Enterprise. There was also a rich exchange with project partners from HyTREc2, an Interreg project that ended in 2023 which had focused on the application of hydrogen in the mobility sector. In this way, the partnership was able to harvest some learning from this larger, Interreg project. In Drenthe, two university students were engaged for stakeholder analyses and organisational competency framework. That work is now on its way.

Website: https://www.interregnorthsea.eu/ehrin

Thematic information

Institutional cooperation and cooperation networks Renewable energy

Priority: (VI-B_NS_4) Priority 4: Better governance in the North Sea region

Priority specific objective: ISO6.6. Other actions to support better cooperation governance (all strands)

Priority policy objective (Interreg specific objective): PO6 (ISO1) A better cooperation governance

Type of intervention: 173 Enhancing institutional capacity of public authorities and stakeholders to implement territorial cooperation projects and initiatives in a cross-border, transnational, maritime and inter-regional context

Partners (3)

Lead Partner: Provincie Drenthe

Partner’s ID if not PIC: 01179514

Address: Westerbrik 1, 9405BJ Assen, Netherlands

Legal status: public

Organisation type: Regional public authority

Website (not verified): http://www.Provinice-Drenthe.nl

Total budget: EUR 165 200.00

Partner’s programme co-financing: EUR 99 120.00

Partner’s programme co-financing rate: 60.00%

Partner contribution: EUR 66 080.00

GBER schemes / de minimis:

Länsstyrelsen i Skåne

Name: Länsstyrelsen i Skåne

Partner’s ID if not PIC: N.a.

Address: Södergatan 5, 20515 Malmö, Sweden

Legal status: public

Organisation type: Regional public authority

Website: https://www.lansstyrelsen.se/skane.html

Total budget: EUR 165 200.00

Partner’s programme co-financing: EUR 99 120.00

Partner’s programme co-financing rate: 60.00%

Partner contribution: EUR 66 080.00

GBER schemes / de minimis:

Amt für regionale Landesentwicklung Leine-Weser

Name: Amt für regionale Landesentwicklung Leine-Weser

Partner’s ID if not PIC: N.a.

Address: Bahnhofspl. 3-4, 31134 Hildesheim, Germany

Legal status: public

Organisation type: Regional public authority

Website: https://www.arl-lw.niedersachsen.de/startseite/

Total budget: EUR 165 200.00

Partner’s programme co-financing: EUR 99 120.00

Partner’s programme co-financing rate: 60.00%

Partner contribution: EUR 66 080.00

GBER schemes / de minimis:

Partners map

Partners and Projects info

County Administrative Board Skåne

Excellent Hydrogen Regions in Europe

Partners and Projects info

Office for Regional Development Leine-Weser

Excellent Hydrogen Regions in Europe

Partners and Projects info

Province of Drenthe

Excellent Hydrogen Regions in Europe

Lead partner

Project partner

Summary

Small project

Strategic importance project

Project name (EN): Excellent Hydrogen Regions in Europe

Project acronym: EHRIN

Project ID: ygnAGo4ay

Project start date: 2023-06-01

Project end date: 2024-11-30

Project status: closed

Relevant mentions and prizes:

false

Total budget/expenditure: EUR 495 600.00

Total EU funding (amount): EUR 297 360.00

Total EU funding (co-financing rate): 60.00%

Co-financing sources:

ERDF: Amount, EUR 297 360.00. Co-financing rate, 60.00%.

Investments, deliverables, policy contributions

(bullets are inserted automatically and may be incorrectly placed)

Deliverables:

Outreach to engage and extend the network / Partners reach out to their networks and stakeholders, both in and outside their own region. Engage them in EHRIN and invite them to contribute their experiences and challenges.
Organisational requirements: roles and responsibilities / Part of the organisation set-up: Identification of roles, responsibilities required to drive regional hydrogen development through networks. Clarity on what's required for any regional state authority that wishes to embark on H2 development initiatives through networks.
Organisation: Identification of key organisational capabilities / Organisational capabilities required by state authorities to drive regional hydrogen development through networks; mapping knowledge, skills, competencies.
Organisation: Information and communication / Mapping of important communication moments for engagements with stakeholders in the network. Transnational team develops a recommendation on the use multiple-information channels for building and managing networks.
Set up: Prepare for commitments network partners / Prepare any formats for commitments & partnerships required for exchanging mutual expectations and requirements between the organizing partners (public authorities) and the actors in the network. Responsible partner is Drenthe.
Take stock of regional Hydrogen ambitions and initiatives / Identify current regional H2 ambitions and relevant initiatives in the three partner-regions by each of the EHRIN partners.
Stakeholder and network actor analyses / Creating an overview of stakeholders for the pilot projects and their interest and influence on Hydrogen development. Moreover, providing an analyses of relations between actors in terms of power and interdependencies.
Assessment of regional patterns of innovation / Regional analyses of patterns that provide key success stories and levers, and identify the barriers to radical change (climate & energy crises). This is relevant context information, when planning for engagements and action. Responsible transnational team.
Transnational Design Session / The project partners aim to create a common ground for action. This includes comparing outcomes of the regional analyses (activity 5-7) and planning of regional Development Conferences. In combination with the partner meetings, a transnational exchange of stakeholders (both public and private) will be arranged. This is a forum in which ideas can be exchanged by those involved in driving hydrogen development. Part of the agenda will be visits to Hydrogen facilities or initiatives.
Implementation: Development Conferences in regions / On the agenda of the Development Conference: 1. Sharing findings of analyses and mapping with participants (activity 5-7). 2. Opportunity framing - defining "happy land" - succes for our region. 3. Planning for action. (what/when/who) For maximizing learning the EHRIN project partners will attend each others regional conferences. Outcomes will be published on websites and shared in a digital way. The conference will documented visually by producing small 'vignets' to be shared on social media.
Implementation: Post Implementation Reviews / Post implementation reviews of regional conferences; engagement, impact, new relations, opportunities. Interviews and surveys conducted by transnational review team.
Transnational Design Session nr. 2 / Exchange of experiences, learning, dilemma's. Outcomes of post implementation reviews. Joint design of optimized engagement strategy for regional Hydrogen networks. In combination with the project partner meeting, a transnational exchange of stakeholders (both public and private) will be arranged. This is a forum in which ideas can be exchanged by those involved in driving hydrogen development. Part of the agenda will be visits to Hydrogen facilities or initiatives.
Drafting “Take-off Guide H2 Development” / This activity has been removed as a result of MC recommendations.
Dissemination: Final Conference / Launching the Take-Off Guide for hydrogen development through networks. Showcasing the three pilot projects in Leine-Weser, Skane and Drenthe. Present: EHRIN participants & project partners, supporting partners (see Letters of Support) and NSR projects with stronger synergies. See section 3.4.1. The Take-Off Guide will be available in print (limited) and PDF, promoted through websites and social media. The guide will later be presented at other, relevant conferences and occasions as well.
Stimulating stakeholder action / Communicating EHRIN results and making a strong call for action with a campaign targeting a wider group of local and regional authorities throughout the North Sea Region.

Programme Common Output Indicator:

RCO 083 - Strategies and action plans jointly developed, Measurement unit:

Delivered output indicator(s):

(RCO83) Strategies and action plans jointly developed: 256

Programme Common Result Indicator:

RCR 079 - Joint strategies and action plans taken up by organisations, Measurement unit:

Delivered result indicator(s):

(RCR79) Joint strategies and action plans taken up by organisations: 6

Information regarding the data in keep.eu on the programme financing this project

Financing programme

2021 - 2027 Interreg VI-B North Sea

Last month that data in keep.eu was retrieved from the Programme's website or received from the Programme

2025-02-03

No. of projects in keep.eu / Total no. of projects (% of projects in keep.eu)

65 / 65 (100%)

No. of project partnerships in keep.eu / Total no. of project partnerships (% of project partnerships in keep.eu)

791 / 791 (100%)

Notes on the data

Programme's page lasted visited on 2025-03-17.

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Excellent Hydrogen Regions in Europe

Description

Thematic information

Partners (3)

Partners map

Summary

Investments, deliverables, policy contributions

Information regarding the data in keep.eu on the programme financing this project

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