The webinar, which gathered more than 60 participants, aimed at demonstrating how the EUSALP Macro regional strategy is a booster for cooperation in the hydrogen strategic field, with a better coordination and concentration of funds. It is intended to all institutions and stakeholders working in the hydrogen field and heavy mobility.

Key insights - EUSALP Green Hydrogen in the Alps initiative and progress, by Sylvain Guetaz, policy officer for European cooperation and leader of EUSALP Action Group n°2, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Region

• The region Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes has been quite active in the field of hydrogen since a couple of years: In 2017, the Region launched the Zero Emission Valley project with some private companies such as Michelin and Engie, in particular by creating SAS Hympulsion, with the aim of deploying a fleet of 1,200 zero-emission fuel cell vehicles and 20 hydrogen stations by the end of 2023.
• The Region has also launched in 2019 the S3 Hydrogen Valleys partnership, which to date includes 53 European regions and cities, including 10 French Regions.
• Since the beginning of the French Presidency for EUSALP (in 2020), the Region decided to launch an important initiative dealing with hydrogen: It signed the regional pillar of the hydrogen European network.
• The EUSALP Hydrogen Initiative is a proposal coming from the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Region to develop a Joint Project Proposal to foster investment in heavy duty mobility solutions across the Alps. (e.g. urban buses, coaches, trucks, snow groomers, refuelling stations, production of green H2…).

Key insights - Hydrogen regional strategies in EUSALP: a stakeholder perspective on barriers and cooperation opportunities in the transition to a H2-based economy. Preliminary results from the meta-study initiated by EUSALP Action group 9, by Lorenzo Menin and Stefano Piazzi, University of Bolzano

Objectives of this study:

• Understanding fundamental hydrogen production and utilising modes envisaged by stakeholders
• Investigating perception of fundamental barriers and opportunities on the way towards hydrogen development
• Exploring policy priorities identified by stakeholders at regional level 

Results of the questionnaire:

• Priority: Decarbonization is the top one priority, then jobs & local economy, followed by the need for innovation and energy security.
• Barriers to implementation: insufficient competitiveness comes at the top, then technological risk and lack infrastructure.
•  Most promising production pathway: electrolysis is the most cited option. Blue hydrogen, biogas reforming and biomass is also cited.
• Most promising utilization pathway: Heavy transportation is most cited, as well as energy storage.

Key insights - Hydrogen in EU policies DG Energy, Tomasz Bak, Policy analyst, European Commission, Directorate-General for Energy, Infrastructure and Regional Cooperation Unit

The Hydrogen Alliance is a platform set up by the European Commission. It gathers different stakeholders, mainly industries companies and public authorities.

Important goals of this alliance:

• Identify EU Hydrogen flagship projects which could contribute tp meet the important milestone of the hydrogen roadmap
• Boosting demand and scaling up production
• Developing hydrogen infrastructure and markets
• Boosting research and innovation
• Giving an international dimension to EU hydrogen production

Key insights - EU possible funds for the EUSALP green hydrogen initiative, Hortense Lutz Hermellin, Auvergne Rhône-Alpes Region, Brussels delegation

Mrs. Hortense Lutz-Hermellin presented the EU possible funds to give an insight of the funding opportunities to initiate and develop hydrogen projects.

• Next generation EU (EU recovery plan) 2021- 2026
• ERDF (EU cohesion policy) 2021 – 2027
• Horizon Europe
• I3: inter-regional innovation investment
• Connecting Europe Facility