Project overview
Hydrogen integration for efficient renewable energy systems
Sector-coupling is a promising approach to replace fossil fuels with renewables. However, this idea of “electrifying” the entire economy requires the rollout of new technologies and rules. The HyEfRe project helps with this by establishing green hydrogen ecosystems in eight regions. The partners foster an investment-friendly environment for renewable energy and green hydrogen technologies. They evaluate hydrogen potentials with a new model and develop and test a new tool to calculate ideal parameters for technical plants. Their action plan for policy actors will reduce regulatory barriers impeding a timely expansion of renewables and green hydrogen.
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2,36m €
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Project Budget
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80%
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of the Budget is funded by ERDF
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8
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Countries
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8
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Regions
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11
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Partners
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3
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Pilots
Duration
Start date
End date
Project progress
About the project
Project partnership
Project partners
Lead partner
Landshut University of Applied Sciences
Technology Centre for Energy
Project partner
Department of Control and Computer Engineering
Department for Renewable Energy Sources, Climate and Environmental Protection
Institute for Applied Informatics
35129 Padova
Roadmap
Challenges
Central European regions are facing increasing pressure to decarbonise their energy systems while ensuring energy security, grid stability, and affordable energy supply. Although renewable energy production is growing rapidly, its integration into existing energy systems remains a major challenge due to fluctuating generation patterns, insufficient storage capacities, and limited sector coupling solutions. At the same time, green hydrogen is emerging as a key technology for balancing renewable energy systems, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and supporting the transition toward climate-neutral economies. However, many regions still face significant technical, economic, regulatory, and social barriers that slow down the deployment of hydrogen solutions. The lack of coordinated planning approaches, investment-ready tools, and stakeholder cooperation further limits the integration of hydrogen into regional energy systems across Central Europe.
Ideas
HyEfRe will bring together tecnical, policy and social solutions to create more investment-friendly environment for renewable energy and green hydrogen solutions into regional energy systems. The project will use cross-border cooperation to help municipalities, regions, energy planners and SMEs turn local renewable energy potential into practical hydrogen projects. By connecting regional needs with innovative planning tools and real-life pilot actions, HyEfRe will help regions better understand how hydrogen can contribute to more flexible, resilient, and climate-neutral energy systems.
Solutions
HyEfRe will develop practical tools and strategies that support the integration of renewable energy and green hydrogen into regional energy systems. The project is developing Hydrogen Potential Model that will use real energy data and simulation software to assess hydrogen production capacities and consumption needs within regional energy cells. Complementary to this, the Decision Support Tool (DST) will help municipalities, energy planners, and investors design and optimise hydrogen hubs and related energy infrastructure. In parallel, HyEfRe will prepare policy recommendations and action plans aimed at reducing regulatory and legal barriers that currently slow down the expansion of renewable energy and hydrogen solutions, while also improving the economic framework conditions for future investments. Recognising that the energy transition also depends on public understanding and acceptance, the project will additionally develop stakeholder engagement and social acceptance strategies tailored to regional and national contexts.
Follow our journey
Discover more about our initiatives and updates by visiting our webpage and social networks regularly.
News
Events
Pilot actions
Outputs
Action plan for framework improvements in the hydrogen economy
Strategy for social acceptance increase for hydrogen applications
Strategy for establishing hydrogen ecosystems
Hydrogen Potential Model
Decision Support Tool
Systems thinking model for hydrogen ecosystems and ecosystem network
HyEfRe
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