The first nationwide Hydrogen Valley

Estonian Hydrogen Days 2023

 

The Estonian Hydrogen Association cordially invites you to the Estonian Hydrogen Days 2023, to be held on 25-26 May 2023 in Tartu, Estonia. This year’s title is “Coupling economic growth with climate”. This event marks two years since the fulfilment of the promises made at the 2021 Hydrogen Days, where the Hydrogen Valley Estonia was launched as the world’s first nationwide hydrogen valley.

 

 

The Estonian Hydrogen Days 2023 aims to contribute to the launch of Estonia’s Hydrogen economy by bringing together public and private sectors from specialized fields, a wider international circle of guests, and interested parties. The event promotes international cooperation and creates investment security, and raises public awareness of the green revolution and its possibilities through technology demonstrations. The event showcases companies that have taken the first concrete steps throughout the value chains and gives an overview of the status of various projects, activities, and the hydrogen economy in general.

 

 

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Agenda

Day 1 – 25.05.2023 – Seminar and expo - Teguri 28A, Tartu (GMT+2 times)

Online recording

Images of Day 1

Time

Topic

Presenter

Organisation

08:30 - 09:00

Registration, coffee and gathering

09:00 - 09:05

Opening messages

Raimond Tamm, Deputy Mayor

City of Tartu

Segment - Climate, Economy & Politics

09:05 - 09:20

Keynote by the Ministry

Meelis Münt, Secretary General

Ministry of Environment

09:20 - 09:35

Video message

Jorgo Chatzimarkakis, CEO

Hydrogen Europe

09:35 - 09:50

European Clean Hydrogen Alliance update and tHrive

Jyri Ylkanen, Principal Policy Officer

DG-GROW, European Commission

09:50 - 10:05

Financing Green Transition

Kersti Talving, Senior Manager
 

 

Nordic Investment Bank
 

10:05 - 10:20

Hydrogen-based mobility in Germany - insights into funding strategies and concepts

Annett Weß, Program Manager Hydrogen Europe

NOW GmbH

10:20 - 10:35

Hydrogen Valleys (Virtual)

Matthijs Soede, Clean Hydrogen Mission Director

Mission Innovation, European Commission

10:35 - 10:50

Keynote

Kadri Simson, Commissioner for Energy

European Commission

10:50 - 11:35

Panel: "Let's talk short term strategy"

Andrus Treier, CEO - Environmental Investment Agency
Jyri Ylkanen, Principal Policy Officer - DG-GROW

Annett Weß, Program Manager Hydrogen Europe - NOW GmbH

Marek Alliksoo, Board Member - Estonian Association of Hydrogen Technologies

11:35 - 12:00

Hydrogen Valley Estonia

Marek Alliksoo, member of the board

Estonian Association of Hydrogen Technologies

12:00 - 13:00

Lunch Break

Segment - Mobility

13:00 - 13:15

Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) on the Road to Hydrogen: Early results and learnings from the JIVE/JIVE 2/MEHRLIN projects and the 1st JIVE 2 CEE bus roadshow

Eva Baker, Consultant
Aivars Starikovs, board member

Element Energy (ERM Group company)

Latvian Hydrogen Association

13:15 - 13:30

Experience from Messer (Virtual)

Tim Evison, Senior Vice President, Clean Hydrogen

Andreas Noky, Manager Hydrogen Filling Stations

Messer Group

13:30 - 13:45

Hydrogen Refuelling Stations

François Hemmerlin, Sales Director Europe Hydrogen

Resato Hydrogen Technology

13:45 - 14:00

Operating Hydrogen Fuel Cell Heavy Duty Vehicles

David John York, Market Development Manager

Ballard Power Systems

14:00 - 14:15

The role of hydrogen engines in decarbonising heavy-duty markets (Virtual)

George Hunter, Head of Sales & Marketing, Hydrogen Powertrains

CARNOT

14:15 - 14:30

Decarbonising hard-to-abate sectors like maritime and aviation through building a green hydrogen project

Dennis Geutjes, Renewable Energy Consultant, Project Development

Pondera Consult

14:30 - 14:45

Energy system, role of hydrogen and green energy market

Piotr Mierzwa, Advisor to General Director

Orlen Lietuva

14:45 - 15:00

Doosan Group activities in H2 Mobility

Jongsu Kang, Senior Manager

Doosan Mobility Innovation

15:00 - 15:30

Coffee Break

Segment - Energy & Education

15:30 - 15:45

GreenSkills4H2 (Virtual)

Katarina Muse, Manager of Regional pillars and skills

Hydrogen Europe

15:45 - 16:00

Hydrogen education by University of Tartu

Meelis Härmas, Research Fellow in Physical and Electrochemistry

University of Tartu

16:00 - 16:15

Initiating and developing green hydrogen projects

Willem Frens, New Business Development

HyCC

16:15 - 16:30

 

André Boer, General Manager

KROHNE Group

16:30 - 16:45

Electrolysers

Rainer Küngas, CTO

Stargate Hydrogen

16:45 - 17:00

Conclusions Day 1

Marek Alliksoo, member of the board

Estonian Association of Hydrogen Technologies

Expo / Demo area

Alexela

Elme Messer

H2Value Project (Tartu City)

Gaznet Industrial

MP Industries

PowerUP Fuel Cells

Resato Hydrogen Technology

Taltech Student Hydrogen Organisation

TET Estel

Topauto Tartu (Hyundai Nexo)

Atrado (Toyota Mirai's)

University of Tartu

Day 2 - Workshop Day (World Hydrogen Valley) - Teguri 28A, Tartu (Only in person)

08:30 - 09:00

Registration, coffee and gathering

09:00 - 12:00

Work in working groups and workshops

12:00 - 13:00

Lunch Break

13:00 - 13:30

Preparation of WG deliverables (WG Leader + Co-Lead)

13:30 - 15:30

Presentation of WG deliverables (Per working group, workshop)

15:30 - 15:35

Conclusions, end of event

Preliminary boundaries of the Hydrogen Valley scope

As a result of our preliminary scoping of the Valley, we have identified thirty projects to be included into the scope. Almost every single project is initiated by one of the partners in the Steering Group They range from generation of renewable energy to use cases, across the country. By far most of the projects are in the idea and feasibility phase. The schemes below summarize the preliminary findings to date. The scope of the Valley was completed with its foundation on 05 July 2022 and working program 2023-2028 finalised in January 2023.

 

In short, Hydrogen Valley Estonia is a complete and nationwide systems development that will accelerate the energy transition and independency of the whole country under the motto: ‘from zero to green.’

 

In the coming six years, hydrogen production will be developed at least six regions in the country. Parallel to that, transport and storage infrastructure is developed, including import and export terminal infrastructure, fuelling stations and storage facilities. This will lay the fundament for the hydrogen backbone to be developed afterwards. Hydrogen use cases under development range from fuelling public transport, heavy duty vehicles, rail, shipping, aviation, and other transport modalities to feedstock for industry, net balancing and even heating cases in the built environment. Finally, a range of innovation-, research- and development projects are included.

Our fundament for the Hydrogen Valley strategy

General scope:

 

  • In these troubled times, one ambition brings all partners in the Valley together: to strive for energy independency as fast as possible and economically responsible.

  • Renewable energy (RE) generation and storage will be the key to Estonian energy independency. As the country has an enormous RE potential, by far exceeding the country’s (primary) energy consumption, energy may well become an export factor of interest for the country.

  • As RE is produced intermittently and the Estonian electricity grid will never be able to accommodate both the volumes and intermittency of RE, storing RE in the form of hydrogen will become a major challenge (next to battery storage for short term).

  • Given the fact that hydrogen as an energy carrier will become available in large quantities, Hydrogen Valley partners want to learn how to use and how to scale up the use of hydrogen and – in the long run – the export of hydrogen.

  • In the short term there are at least five sites planned for large scale onshore solar energy production where partly converting energy to hydrogen will make sense, as delivering the amounts of energy to the grid will be either very costly or not doable at all. In the long term, at least part of the (7GW) offshore potential will be converted to hydrogen from 2029 onwards.

  • This brings the opportunity to gain experience in the period 2023-2029 how, where and under what conditions to produce, transport, store and use hydrogen as an energy carrier in an economic and efficient way, to be able to adapt to large scale situations from 2029 onwards.

  • Local governments, regions and private partners are already planning or investigating use cases in transport (shipping, aviation, rail, public transport, heavy duty, long range) and fuelling opportunities. In industry, hydrogen as a component for future-proof fuels is on the radar. In the energy system, hydrogen as a means for short term and long-term storage, grid stability and heating are in scope and ambitions on import (short term) and export (long term) are being investigated.

  • The main challenge for the Hydrogen Valley partners will be to learn how to solve the chicken and egg (production and use) challenge and to jointly build up the links in the value chain in the coming years, even if these links would not be financially feasible in the short term.

  • In essence, the Hydrogen Valley strategy is thereby to facilitate the hydrogen learning curve from 2023 to 2029 to profit maximally from 2029 onwards in an economically responsible way.

  • The projects in scope cover most of the economic clusters in Estonia, including energy generation and conversion and the use of hydrogen. The interconnectivity of the projects and the Hydrogen Valley partners positions Estonia as the first nationwide Hydrogen Valley on the planet.

  • Estonian partners want to maximize cooperation with other countries to optimize the learning curve and broaden the market.

  • Estonian partners want to optimally respond to European programs facilitating the hydrogen learning curve: Fit For 55 (laying the groundwork), RePowerEU (accelerating energy independency), tHrive (facilitating and accelerating new hydrogen economy), Hydrogen Valleys (accelerating Valley learning curve), TEN-T (investing in hydrogen-driven transport corridors), Hydrogen Backbone (including Elering) and others.

Governance

The initiating partners are developing their governance parallel to the scope and the strategy of the Valley. Hydrogen Valley Estonia’s (HVE) main objectives in establishing the governance are the following:

 

  • HVE aims to be a neutral body where roles and responsibilities of the partners are clearly defined;

  • We want to base our governance on our shared ambitions and our aim to collaborate with each other and third parties;

  • We aim to bring the right mindset on hydrogen to Estonia. A mindset based on working together on a strategic level and thereby finding synergies, both between partners and between links in the value chain;

  • We want to facilitate in providing Estonia with a long-term framework, built up by real projects developing over time;

  • HVE aims to function as a forum for knowledge on hydrogen that will enable parties to better understand each other and the hydrogen value chain.

 

Based on these ground rules, HVE further aims to provide national government with a clear representation of regions and companies on hydrogen. As such, HVE aims to be the primary hydrogen engagement partner for national government on policy development and the development of policy instruments.

 

Furthermore, with such a strong representation of regions and companies, HVE aims to become the go-to organization for cross-border cooperation on hydrogen. From that perspective, HVE is investigating EU recognition and cross border partnerships.

Who we are

The first nationwide Hydrogen Valley ever is being developed in close cooperation between three regions, one university and five of the largest companies in energy and industry in Estonia. They have formed a Management Team and a Steering Group to build up the strategy, the governance, and the European recognition of the Valley.

These nine initiating partners are open to additional partners to strengthen the Valley and its strategy.                                       

 

In addition to these nine partners, a Support Group has been identified consisting of the following organizations: Association of Municipalities of Tartu County, Auve Tech, Baltic Work Boats, Clever Cities, Drannel, Elcogen, Elmo Rent, Estiko, Estonian Aviation Academy, H2Electro, Harju Entrepreneurship and Development Centre, HHLA TK, Keila Municipality, Liwathon E.O.S., Lääne-Harju Rural Municipality, MP Industries, Pakri S&I Park, PowerUp Energy Technologies, Pärnu County Development Center, Põlva Rural Municipality, Saaremaa Development Center, Saare Wind Energy, Skeleton Technologies; SKYCORP, Stargate Hydrogen, Tallinn Airport, Tallinn University of Technology, Tartu Terminal, Tartu Vocational College, TiVo - Taltech Hydrogen Organisation, TS Laevad, XFly.

The members of the Support Group are invited to bring projects into the Valley scope to further complete the hydrogen value chain in Estonia and additional organizations are invited to participate in the Support Group.

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Further information

Hydrogen Valley Estonia is under construction

The initiating partners invite all to add value to the Scope, the Strategy, and the governance of the Valley as we regard the development of the Valley as a project with strong societal relevance and benefits. Contacts can be established either via the partners in the Valley or by contacting the Steering Group’s secretary by email: HVE @ H2EST. ee.