Andalusia will use Spain-Portugal cross-border cooperation to boost its policies supporting green hydrogen.
The Andalusian Energy Agency , an entity attached to the Regional Ministry of Industry, Energy and Mines of the Andalusian Government, is leading a new European project called “COMPiTE ,” which aims to promote green hydrogen as a key vector for the decarbonization of Southern Europe. This initiative falls within the framework of the Spain-Portugal Cross-Border Cooperation POCTEP program and seeks to create a collaborative environment between Andalusia and the Portuguese regions of Algarve and Alentejo that fosters technological innovation and the use of renewable energies.
This will be achieved through training activities, exchange of experiences, and knowledge transfer that will complement and strengthen employment and training policies in these regions. To this end, the Andalusian Energy Agency will be responsible for analyzing the context and energy policies of the participating regions in order to identify opportunities for their industries related to green hydrogen. Subsequently, it will design a cross-border renewable hydrogen roadmap , inspired by the one already implemented in Andalusia , outlining the necessary actions for the development of this energy vector.
A series of courses will also be launched to train companies, employees, and professionals , along with thematic workshops to exchange experiences and best practices among energy authorities, and seminars to transfer knowledge and foster technological innovation between universities and research centers. The University of Cádiz , another of the Andalusian partners in the project, together with the National Institute of Aerospace Technology (INTA) , will be responsible for designing and implementing this training program, which aims to leverage the experience and knowledge of professionals from other energy sectors to specialize them in green hydrogen.
In this regard, for the preparation of this project for its approval by the European Commission, the fact has been taken into account that in both Sines (Alentejo) and Los Barrios (Andalusia) Territorial Plans and Just Transition Agreements have been promoted to mitigate the impact of the closure of coal-fired power plants, whose workers can benefit by receiving training that enables them to work in green hydrogen plants.
Southern Europe as a European valley for green hydrogen
Spain and Portugal are the countries with the greatest potential to play a leading role in the development of green hydrogen at the European level, primarily due to their excellent geographical and climatic location, as well as the existence of a robust infrastructure network, thus facilitating the creation of a future European hydrogen valley in southern Europe. In fact, they are at a crucial juncture to attract investment, promote innovation, and commit to a new model centered around this emerging value chain, making the training and professional development of energy sector workers essential.
While the share of renewables has grown in recent years, the availability and deployment of innovative technological solutions, such as green hydrogen, requires a sufficient number of trained workers and professionals to enable large-scale implementation. In the specific case of Andalusia , the region has numerous competitive advantages for developing the value chain for the production and transport of green molecules . These include its abundant renewable energy resources, a strategic location as a gateway to Europe, Africa, and the Americas, infrastructure such as the seaports of Huelva and Algeciras, and the current demand for hydrogen from the industrial sector in Andalusia.
In this regard, the Regional Government of Andalusia, through the Ministry of Industry, Energy and Mines, has launched several initiatives to promote its development. These include the Andalusian Green Hydrogen Alliance , a public-private partnership tool to leverage the opportunities presented by new technologies for the production, storage, distribution, and use of renewable hydrogen; and the Green Hydrogen Roadmap for Andalusia , which includes the development of Andalusian Hydrogen Valleys , the identification of strategic locations for its production, the conversion of production spaces to adapt them to its consumption, the strengthening of the knowledge network and specialized training, and support for investments with incentives, among other actions. Furthermore, the Andalusian Energy Agency is a member of Hydrogen Europe , a platform that collaborates with European Union institutions to accelerate the hydrogen industry.
The project partners
Along with the Andalusian Energy Agency, which leads the consortium, and the University of Cádiz, which will manage the training-related work, the project includes the National Institute of Aerospace Technology (INTA), the Andalusian Council of Official Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Services and Navigation, the University of Algarve, the Alentejo Regional Coordination and Development Commission (CCDR Alentejo), the University of Évora, the Algarve Region Business Association (NERA), the Algarve Regional Energy and Environment Agency (AREAL), the Andalusian Federation of Municipalities and Provinces (FAMP) and the company EDP.
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Andalusia will use Spain-Portugal cross-border cooperation to boost its policies supporting green hydrogen., source
