On February 18, 2025, on the premises of the Energy Institute Hrvoje Požar (EIHP), a regional workshop on the exchange of experience between project partners from Slovenia and Croatia was held, in which representatives of several European projects on the topic of hydrogen participated. The workshop was organised within the GREET CE project coordinated by KSSENA, and the implementing partner in Croatia is EIHP. In addition to the exchange of experience, the workshop aimed to identify the synergistic potential between the projects and the key challenges for encouraging innovation in the field of hydrogen technologies.
The following projects were presented at the workshop: HyEfRe – Hydrogen integration for efficient renewable energy systems (Interreg Central Europe); NACHIP – North Adriatic Clean Hydrogen Investment Platform – (I3); H2CE – Empowering H2-ready regions in Central Europe (Interreg Central Europe); Green Hydra (Interreg Europe); Danube Indeet (Interreg Danube); GREET CE and S2H2 – innovation project of the company DOK-ING (partner on the NACHIP project).
Common themes, tools, challenges:
- Decision Support Tool (DST) – interactive tools for network analysis, electrolyser optimisation and estimation of optimal system power (HyEfRe, NACHIP, Danube Indeed).
- Regulatory framework and legislation – all projects highlight the lack of clear regulations for hydrogen, especially regarding permits, safety and integration into existing networks.
- Value chains and business models – defining related industries, financial models and replication potential (NACHIP, GREET CE, Danube Indeet).
- Financing and investments - cascade financing for small and medium enterprises (NACHIP), hydrogen bank for stimulating investments (H2CE) and business models for (Danube Indeet, GREET CE).
- Best practices and international cooperation - exchange of experiences through projects, as well as the organisation of regional events in Zagreb, Maribor and elsewhere.
- Education and promotion - introducing local communities and decision-makers to hydrogen through events, strategies, web platforms, and one-stop shops (H2CE, GREEN HYDRA, GREET CE).
Project collaboration is key to accelerating the energy transition and creating sustainable hydrogen production and application solutions in the region. Regulatory frameworks, financing and technology replication remain key challenges, but knowledge exchange and application of best practices contribute to the development of innovative solutions for decarbonisation.
