IEA Hydrogen TCP Task 40 experts led by Dr. Michael Hirsher, current Task Manager, celebrated a meeting from the 18th to 21st September 2022 at La Cristalera, Miraflores de la Sierra (Madrid, Spain). This meeting was organised by Dr. Jose Ares, from the Materials of Interest in Renewable Energies research group (MIRE, Materials Physics Department UAM). It was closed to participants from IEA Hydrogen TCP countries. IPHE storage experts were invited based on the Memorandum of Understanding between IEA Hydrogen TCP and IPHE related to Task cooperation. Task 40 addresses energy storage and conversion based on hydrogen by developing reversible or regenerative hydrogen storage materials. In these materials, the quantitative targets for hydrogen storage capacities and operation temperatures depend strongly on the different application objectives, e.g. mobile systems, transport and distribution, or stationary storage systems.
Prof. Antonio González García-Conde was invited to give a talk on the outlook, potential and prospects of the hydrogen sector in Spain, as the Vicechair of the Spanish Hydrogen Association (AeH2) & Chair of the Spanish Hydrogen Technological Platform (PTEH2). He shared an overview of the projects currently being carried out in Spain, with answers to several questions: When did Spain become interested in hydrogen? Is the great moment of hydrogen being well received? Will Spain become the leader of renewable hydrogen in Europe? What is the private interest based on?
The general message was: “The basis is established. Now we need to bring projects to a deployment stage and finance them.” Spain has multiple strengths to fulfil this objective: production of renewable electricity, gas infrastructure, regasification plants, strategic storage areas, international connection, and access to the major European transport corridors. Furthermore, business, and industrial structure is making a huge improvement in the form of clusters, hydrogen valleys, consortiums, and promotion of projects. All these leads to a great mobilization of the sector.
58 Spanish hydrogen projects can be found through the Hydrogen Europe website. What is more, until June this year, 75 new global projects related to green hydrogen have been presented and two out of ten have been born in Spain. Also, almost 40% of the 5,200 MW of hydrogen that were projected throughout Europe until last summer are located in Spain. Ursula von der Leyen, European Commission President stated: “Two renewables are clearly boosted as a result of Putin’s war: one is solar and the other is green hydrogen.” Clearly, in both technologies Spain has advantages. The aim now is to raise electrolyser power and use of green H2 within the main political line: to improve the industrial position of Spain. The challenges are the need for investment, policy, procedures, and regulation.
Ms. María Pilar Argumosa Martínez, Hydrogen TCP Spanish Representative and R&D Project Manager at the National Aerospace Technology Institute (INTA) gave a talk on the Spanish contribution to the Hydrogen TCP overtime. INTA is an ExCo member from 1995, and its Energy laboratory team has actively participated as expert on hydrogen technologies in several TCP tasks since then.
María Pilar introduced the Hydrogen TCP under the umbrella of the IEA, as a global hub for Hydrogen R, D&D activities to accelerate its implementation in the global economy. The Hydrogen TCP strategic plan is based on a collaborative task portfolio focus on R, D&D on production and storage technologies, integrated systems, and infrastructures; technical, market and policy analysis, as well as rising awareness and public acceptance. Members’ responsibilities include promoting the participation of national public and private entities in its R, D&D Tasks. The Spanish participation in recent Tasks over the last 10 years was explained in detail, as well as other contributions related to the program mission. New opportunities to participate were explained in the current task portfolio, with four open tasks and seven in the project definition phase. Several topics are addressed, such as: techno-economic analysis and modelling, underground H2 storage, H2 safety, H2 export value chains, H2 certification, natural hydrogen, H2 production from renewable, off-shore wind or nuclear energy hydrogen, etc. All of them open to recruit new experts.
Other interventions:
- Javier Dufour. Head of the Systems Analysis Unit (IMDEA-Energía Universidad Rey Juan Carlos) and Vice-chair of Cross Cutting Research Activities of Hydrogen Europe Research – “Sustainability assessment of hydrogen systems”
- Gisela Orcajo, Associate Professor, Head of MOF Group at GIQA (Universidad Rey Juan Carlos) – “Metal-Organic Framework materials for hydrogen storage” (30 min)
- Gastón García, Head of MicroAnalysis materials Center (CMAM) Universidad Autónoma de Madrid – “CMAM: experimental possibilities with ion beams for H materials”
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