In April, the European partners of the Interreg Alpine Space AMETHyST project met in Ljubljana, Slovenia, for two days of work on decarbonising the Alpine arc using hydrogen as an energy carrier. The event addressed various aspects of hydrogen development in the region, in line with the climate objectives set for 2030.

The Slovenian hydrogen framework

Participants had the opportunity to discover Slovenia's political and economic framework for hydrogen. This framework aims to strengthen the country's energy infrastructure to meet decarbonisation targets by 2030. Slovenia, like the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region in France, is showing strong political commitment to supporting and developing hydrogen as a key component of their energy strategy.

Feedback from Slovenian projects

The meetings also provided an opportunity to share feedback from various Slovenian projects in several industrial sectors. These included :

• RECUPERA: Project focusing on the recovery and use of hydrogen in industrial processes.
• RESHUB network: Network dedicated to promoting and supporting hydrogen initiatives across Europe.
• PIPISTREL: Innovative aeronautical company exploring the use of hydrogen for light aircraft.
• Alpacem: A player in the building materials sector, integrating hydrogen solutions to reduce CO2 emissions.
• HRASTNIK1860: Glass industry pioneer in the adoption of hydrogen to reduce its carbon footprint.

Key points for the development of hydrogen value chains

To support the development of hydrogen value chains, the following points are necessary:

1. Strong political commitment
2. Tools for local authorities
3. Support for hydrogen mobility
4. An energy mix

The two-day event strengthened the collaboration between the European partners. They also shared crucial knowledge for the development of hydrogen in the Alpine arc. Political support, technological innovation and strategic planning are essential to the success of this energy transition.