H2CE developed a Geographic Information System to support public authorities in planning hydrogen production, distribution and use.
The approach combined spatial information with energy-system data, helping decision-makers understand how potential hydrogen projects related to existing infrastructure and regional resources.
What the GIS approach covered
The tools were designed to organise and visualise information on:
- electricity grids and pipelines;
- renewable-energy resources;
- potential hydrogen-production locations;
- existing and prospective hydrogen demand;
- transport and distribution options;
- industrial, mobility and stationary applications; and
- relevant regional energy infrastructure.
Users could organise different types of data, perform spatial queries and analyses, and produce maps and summary views for strategic planning.
Testing in Styria and Veneto
The GIS approach was developed and evaluated through pilot work in Styria and the Veneto Region.
In Styria, the Energy Agency Styria collected the required information while addressing the sensitivity of certain energy and infrastructure data.
In Veneto, Unioncamere del Veneto compiled more than 2,500 records. The subsequent work included:
- integrating regional statistical data;
- translating energy-consumption data into potential hydrogen demand;
- geolocating records; and
- developing analytical maps.
Lessons learned
The pilots showed that GIS tools could make complex territorial relationships easier to understand. However, their usefulness depended on the quality, accessibility and comparability of the underlying data.
The development process therefore highlighted the importance of:
- defining data requirements early;
- involving data owners and regional stakeholders;
- addressing confidentiality restrictions;
- documenting assumptions used to estimate hydrogen demand; and
- designing tools that could be adapted to different regional contexts.
The tested approach was subsequently connected with the project’s wider strategic decision-support work and integrated into the H2CE Collaboration Platform.