Research hydrogen opportunities for cross-border collaboration
Research into the applications of hydrogen
The H2 Link Regions study provides an in-depth overview of the opportunities and obstacles for cross-border hydrogen collaboration between the Northeast Netherlands and Northwest Germany. The study was commissioned by New Energy Coalition (NEC) and Oldenburger Energy Cluster (OLEC) and made possible by the INTERREG V A programme.
Insights from the study
Strong starting position of the region: The border region studied (Groningen, Drenthe, and Northwest Lower Saxony) has excellent conditions for the development of a hydrogen economy: extensive renewable energy production, storage capacity, and relevant infrastructure.
Inventory of players and projects:
The study identifies 218 companies and organizations active in the hydrogen sector and maps 67 ongoing and planned projects. Approximately 17% of these players are SMEs. Only three projects are explicitly cross-border in nature.
Potential and obstacles to collaboration:
Based on surveys and interviews, it is concluded that there is broad willingness to cooperate, but that differences in regulations, strategies and financing options pose significant obstacles.
Recommendations for strengthening cooperation:
The researchers make practical recommendations, including:
- Setting up a central information and knowledge website.
- Organizing regular (online) networking events.
- Encouraging physical meetings between stakeholders from both countries.
- Developing solutions for institutional and legal bottlenecks, for example through “regulatory sandboxes”.
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