The Clean Hydrogen Partnership recognised its leading projects and beneficiaries for their outstanding achievements at the Awards Ceremony on 24 November 2025.
This annual event celebrated excellence in hydrogen research and innovation, honouring the people and projects that drive Europe’s clean energy transition.
The Awards include the following categories:
- Best Innovation and Best Success Story – winners were chosen by public vote
- Best Outreach
- European H2 Valley of the Year
- Women in H2 Innovation Award
Each category highlighted exceptional accomplishments contributing to the growth of a sustainable hydrogen economy across Europe.
Categories
The Best Innovation Award highlights how collaboration among research institutions, industry, and policymakers can deliver world-class solutions and speed up the transition to a decarbonised economy.
Each shortlisted innovation demonstrates the tangible impact of Clean Hydrogen Partnership projects in advancing cutting-edge hydrogen technologies. The award is presented to the project partners behind the winning innovation.
Winner
HyP3Dhas won the Best Innovation Award for its pioneering use of 3D printing to manufacture advanced solid oxide electrolysis cells (SOCs). These next-generation cells offer improved efficiency and durability, thanks to features such as corrugated electrolytes and integrated gas channels that enable lighter, simpler system designs.
Check out the other shortlisted projects!
The Best Success Story Award celebrates the most significant breakthroughs across the hydrogen value chain. These stories showcase how collaboration between research institutions, industry, and policymakers within a European partnership drives meaningful innovation in a rapidly evolving and highly challenging sector.
Each success story demonstrates the vital role of research and innovation (R&I) in turning ideas into market-ready solutions, highlighting how ambitious and forward-thinking companies thrive through Clean Hydrogen Partnership projects.
Together, these stories reflect the strength of the Partnership’s portfolio approach, supporting low-carbon, sustainable technologies and opening new market opportunities for European hydrogen solutions.
Because a single success story often involves multiple projects, all projects featured in the winning story will be recognised. This year, two stories highlight specific project beneficiaries, who will receive individual recognition if selected through the public vote.
Winner
HELIOS and FLEX4H2 have jointly received the Best Success Story Award for their advances in hydrogen combustion technology.
- HELIOSdeveloped a retrofittable hydrogen gas turbine based on the FlameSheet™ platform, achieving fully hydrogen-powered operation.
- FLEX4H2 designed a fuel-flexible combustor capable of operating with up to 100% hydrogen blended into natural gas, enabling clean and dispatchable power generation.
Explore the shortlisted success stories!
Please note that Building the standards to power Europe’s hydrogen economy and Hydrogen Valleys: Powering innovation and regional growth across Europe are not included in the public vote.
The Best Outreach Award celebrates excellence in public engagement and communication. It encourages EU-funded project beneficiaries to share their achievements creatively and strategically, raising awareness of hydrogen innovation among diverse audiences.
The winner was selected by the Clean Hydrogen Partnership Programme Office.
Winner
The COSMHYC Project Series (COSMHYC, COSMHYC XL, COSMHYC DEMO) earned the Best Outreach Award for its innovative hydrogen compression solution, validated at a public refuelling station. The project’s dissemination efforts boosted visibility and supported the commercialisation of thermochemical compressors.
The European H2 Valley of the Year Award recognises outstanding achievements in developing and implementing Hydrogen Valleys.
The Clean Hydrogen Partnership and its predecessor, the FCH JU, began supporting Hydrogen Valleys in 2017 through the Regions Initiative. Since then, the concept has grown substantially, with nearly 100 Valleys in progress across 37 countries, as tracked by the H2V Platform under Mission Innovation.
The award will consider progress in project implementation, value chain coverage, hydrogen production and use, stakeholder involvement, and the level of innovation to identify Europe’s Valley of the Year.
Winner
BalticSeaH2 received the European H2 Valley of the Year Award for its ambitious hydrogen ecosystem spanning southern Finland and Estonia. With 40 partners from nine countries, the initiative aims to create one of Europe’s largest interregional hydrogen networks.
The Women in H2 Innovation Award recognises the outstanding achievements and contributions of a female researcher in hydrogen research and innovation.
Following the success of its first edition in 2024 - organised in collaboration with Women in Green Hydrogen - the Clean Hydrogen Partnership and its Programme Office will once again honour a remarkable woman driving progress in this transformative field.
Winner
Julie Mougin, Deputy Director for Hydrogen Technologies at CEA, was recognised with the Women in H2 Innovation Award for her 20-year contribution to hydrogen and fuel cell technologies, including advancements in high-temperature electrolysis.