Hydrogen for heavy duty transportation: working in synergy with the partnerships

At TRA 2024 Conference in Dublin, The Clean Hydrogen Partnership lead on a session on hydrogen for heavy duty transportation, which explored how synergies can be developed technically across production and use of green hydrogen for the various heavy-duty transport modes - as well as structurally among the various actors involved at European level. 

As a multi-facetted solution, Hydrogen has applications in numerous (transport) sectors having specific needs in terms of research, innovation and market development and deployment. The integration, deployment and scale-up of H2 technologies in the heavy-duty transport sector (and beyond) will require additional, complementary, and coordinated research and innovation efforts carried out in synergy with the end-use Partnerships covering hydrogen in their Programme and other European strategic initiatives at EU, national, and regional level. 

Participants from the European Commission - DG Move, CINEA, EU Partnerships (Clean Aviation, EU Rail, , Waterborne, EGVIAfor2Zero AND  CIÉ – Ireland’s Largest Public Transport Provider,, all highlighted the importance of synergies not only across sectors but also between different use cases, the importance of a user-centric approach, as well as the need to avail different green technological solutions to help reduce transport sector emissions.

Thorsten Klimke, Head of the Innovation and Research Unit at the European Commission's Directorate-General for Mobility and Transport mentioned that “synergies need a bit of a push and openness - we need them even if working in silos can sometimes be easier”. 

Richard Ferrer from CINEA stressed the importance as well of avoiding silos management across different programmes and optimising the use of public funds through additionality, complementarity, and coordination.

Lorcan O’Connor, the CEO of CIÉ - Ireland’s largest public transport provider, providing bus and rail services across Ireland, commented that we must advance all options and technological solutions; for example, hydrogen is a very promising option about one third of the (expanding) fleet of the CIE - long-distance coach transport - which could not be served by batteries. 

Giorgio Travaini from EU Rail mentioned the need for a comprehensive approach, and in the case of integrating hydrogen for rail we need to look not only to acquisition but life maintenance and towards standardisation work to allow for a multimodal operability. 

Sebastien Dubois representing the Clean Aviation JU, mentioned the need for both more infrastructure and more production, at local level ( around airports). 

Lucie Beaumel from the EGVIAfor2Zero Partnership added that road transport should also be open to different technological solution and go beyond a discussion on infrastructure to determine various use cases for hydrogen in synergy with other transport modes.

Jaap Gebraad of the Waterborne Technology Platform highlighted that we need upscaling of the technology, production, and availability - and mentioned the business and commercial models of ports as energy hubs, in which more clarity is needed for decision-making.  

In addition to multi-modal use, speakers also stressed that the issue of infrastructure development must be addressed in parallel with that of availability of green hydrogen, as well as the importance of “making the concept bankable”. We need to work towards the goal of integrating all green technologies.

Importance of dialogues and synergies was stressed as well by the moderator of the event, Mirela Atanasiu, who provided the example of the Clean Hydrogen Partnership, who has started working with the regions and the local authorities for the development of an integrated hydrogen economy at local level through the H2 Valleys concept.

Speakers agreed that we need to stimulate dialogue and collaboration among various stakeholders to forge partnerships, leverage resources, and align efforts towards efficient and effective use of funds and resources.