30 maart 2022

'EMR H2 Booster’ consortium to accelerate hydrogen developments in Euregio Meuse-Rhine

A consortium of nine partners is joining forces to boost the development of clean hydrogen innovation, demonstration and knowledge sharing in the Euregio Meuse-Rhine, as a first step towards the large-scale roll-out of a clean hydrogen economy. The working area of the EMR H2 Booster consortium consists of Dutch and Flemish Limburg, the Aachen region and Liège. Through cross-border cooperation at this level, the project partners aim to facilitate the accelerated emergence of a hydrogen economy in the area. The consortium held its kick-off event today at the Maastricht provincial house.

The consortium comprises regional development agencies, hydrogen cluster organisations and a knowledge institute, thereby combining ample experience in the hydrogen sector with knowledge of local Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs).

Within the EMR H2 Booster, the partners will work on four main work streams. Firstly, they will perform a mapping exercise of plans, roadmaps, visions, views, R&D activities, industrial players and competences within the region. These will then be integrated into an online platform (the Digital Innovation Platform). Based on the gathered insights, focused matchmaking sessions will be organised for SMEs in the region (work stream two). In this second work stream, several ’cases’ will be defined and elaborated further. The ‘cases’ comprise consortia of SMEs and other partners that have the ambition to work together on real hydrogen implementations. Throughout the project, they will receive the support they need to take the next steps towards realisation. Four large events will be organised in the third work stream, one in each region. These will consist of inspiration and demonstrations sessions and workshops on specific themes. On the one hand, these events will enhance the knowledge of the SMEs involved in the cases. On the other hand, they will also function as an inspiration for SMEs still at an earlier stage of involvement in the hydrogen sector. A separate fourth work stream will prepare a long term roadmap for the region and work on the definition of a long-term governance structure and business model of the EMR H2 Booster beyond the project's timespan.
This project aims to decrease greenhouse gas emissions by a transition to hydrogen, combined with an increase in technological development, economic activity and employment. A diverse group of SME’s will be called upon and included in the ecosystem of the EMR H2 Booster.

The EMR H2 Booster project has received funding from the Interreg Euregio Meuse-Rhine program. This program receives support from the European Union’s ERDF. In addition, several of the partners receive co-financing from local governments, including the Dutch province of Limburg, the Dutch province of Noord-Brabant, the Dutch ministry of Economic and Climate Policy, the Walloon Government, and the German state government of North Rhine-Westphalia. The project duration is 18 months.

The partners in the project are Stadt Aachen, LIOF, POM Limburg, Cluster TWEED, SPI, IHK Aachen, Universiteit Hasselt, Waterstof Coalitie Limburg and WaterstofNet who coordinates the project. As an associated partner Regio Parkstad supports the project.

Adwin Martens, managing director WaterstofNet: “Europe is speeding up ambitions on hydrogen in different applications as a necessary way of decarbonization our society. Therefore it is crucial that a three-country point as EMR - connecting Belgium, The Netherlands and Germany - will develop strong plans for contributing to this European hydrogen ambition: as implementation area as well as supplier of productions and services.”

Download the full press release.
More information: www.emrh2booster.eu