PROJECT DESCRIPTION
BACKGROUND
Early decarbonisation of the energy and transportation sectors is crucial for reaching climate neutrality by 2050. Transport accounts for approximately 25% of global CO2 emissions, but also has the highest potential for CO2 abatement.
Hydrogen, with its superior energy density, is a promising decarbonisation option for transport compared to other energy sources as it provides enough power for long ranges and high payloads. Hydrogen is expected to play an important role in the EU’s transition to climate neutrality by 2050 and its aim of becoming independent from Russian fossil fuels well before 2030. Recent EU announcements identify renewable hydrogen as the turning point for Europe's energy and environmental needs. Europe intends to produce 10 million tonnes of green hydrogen annually until 2030, and green hydrogen will become vital as the EU transitions to a sustainable, climate-neutral economy.
Around 8 million tonnes of hydrogen are consumed each year in the EU, primarily produced from natural gas. Although hydrogen burns cleanly as a fuel at its point of use, producing it from fossil fuels simply relocates emissions rather than eliminating them, so maximising hydrogen’s full environmental benefits means it must be produced using low- or zero-carbon technologies such as water electrolysis combined with renewables. Currently, however, water electrolysis accounts for only 4% of global hydrogen production.
As a new hydrogen economy emerges, creating regionally integrated hydrogen ecosystems – known as hydrogen hubs, hydrogen clusters or hydrogen valleys – become a priority. Europe is a frontrunner, with the European Commission calling for a doubling in the number of hydrogen valleys by 2025, through the RePowerEU Plan.
Western Macedonia has been the Greek energy hub since 1955, producing more than 75% of the country’s energy from coal-fired plants. The region faces particular technological, economic and social challenges in the transition to a low-carbon economy.
OBJECTIVES
LIFE GREENH2ORN’s main objective is to reduce CO2 emissions from urban transport by demonstrating the hydrogen value chain (production, transport, distribution and storage) and its use for zero-emission mobility in urban environments. LIFE GREENH2ORN will help accelerate a hydrogen valley in the ‘just transition’ region of Western Macedonia, serving as a blueprint for local green hydrogen urban mobility as part of the EU’s wider strategy for climate change mitigation.
The specific objectives of the LIFE GREENH2ORN project are to:
- produce, distribute and use enough green hydrogen to partially cover local municipal and regional waste management needs, aiming for a zero-emissions mobility fleet by 2028
- implement the first fully operational green hydrogen refuelling station (HRS) in Greece to act as a pilot for sustainable/zero emission transport
- develop an appropriate IT platform for collecting, sharing and exchanging data to support monitoring, operational and planning activities, as well as statistical analysis and reporting
- undertake 2 technical-economic feasibility assessments for incorporating sewage sludge as a new source for local hydrogen production
- produce and install mobile storage pressure tubes to properly operate the integrated hydrogen transport system
- support regional start-ups in developing new skills for the green hydrogen mobility sector
- design a roadmap for developing the regional green hydrogen zero-emissions transport sector
- accelerate the development of an institutional framework for the national hydrogen economy
- evaluate regulatory and policy needs and develop policy recommendations
- establish the first Greek green hydrogen valley and mark the LIFE GREENH2ORN as a national pilot project for Greek cities and regions
- validate the technical, economic, social and environmental model of the LIFE GREENH2ORN value chain
- contribute to the Municipality of Kozani Sustainable Urban Mobility Plan
RESULTS
The project’s expected results are:
- 43% reduction in fossil-fuel used by municipal vehicles by replacing traditional vehicles with new hydrogen ones (3 years after project end)
- emissions from municipal vehicles reduced by 270 tonnes/CO2 equivalent/year by project end
- emissions from municipal vehicles reduced by nearly 852 t/CO2 eq/year 3 years after project end
- 76.65 tonnes of green hydrogen produced, stored and distributed each year by project end, and 850 tonnes/year by 3 years after project end
- to demonstrate the benefits of using a centralised green hydrogen system to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) from urban transport in Kozani
- a technical-economic feasibility assessment for producing green hydrogen from 8 900 tonnes a year of sewage sludge
- 20 Type IV (Hydrogen) units for mobile storage and transportation of hydrogen compressed to 200 bar installed, including the manufacturing of carbon fibre tubes
- publication of a policy roadmap for sustainable green hydrogen urban mobility in Western Macedonia
- almost €10 million investment mobilised by project end in the region of Western Macedonia
- replication and transfer the project results to at least 2 other cities (one in Central and one in Western Macedonia) mobilising investments of more than €30 million
- guidelines with policy recommendations for supporting the establishment of an institutional framework related to the overall hydrogen economy at the regional/national level
- technical, economic, social and environmental validation of the system and value chain developed by LIFE GREENH2ORN
- new training courses to promote the hydrogen value chain nationwide
- awareness raising among civil society, public authorities and relevant stakeholders), focusing on the benefits of moving from fossil-fuel to hydrogen vehicles
