The genesis of the GenComm project was to develop and demonstrate green hydrogen from differing renewable sources as a regional energy vector. This was a deliberate strategy to show how communities could build resilience and generate their own energy security from local renewable opportunities.
This geographical approach to developing zero carbon solutions for local use is referred to in our work as ‘Hydrogen Topography.’ This approach empowers communities across Europe to access hydrogenewables-  their own renewable opportunities wind, solar or bio and use these green sources to provide green solutions and end use on their specific journey to net zero. The GenComm research has demonstrated that there are many routes for green hydrogen to be produced and utilised on the transition to net zero. Europe as it assembles all of these routes into the Green Hydrogen Highway will benefit from the diverse use and optimisation of green Hydrogen as SMART H2.
The harnessing of the outputs within the GenComm project of the three pilots, wind, solar and bio to hydrogen and hybrid uses of power, heating, transport and storage  has been captured in the Enabling Support Tool (EST.) The GenComm EST is an energy model, analytics platform which communities use to make informed green energy project development decisions and investments. The EST is an easy to use graphical tool enabling community stakeholders can take full commercial and environmental advantage of renewable data analytics to develop their own energy solutions. It is powering community driven transitions to a zero carbon footprint. and enabling communities to plan their H2-based energy solutions, decarbonise energy needs and plan their pathway to net zero.
Â
The Enabling Support Tool (EST) is assisting communities to accelerate the development & deployment of regional low-carbon technologies by providing reliable financial and technological data from renewable energy pilots. This tool empowers and supports accurate investment decision making in the most impactful technologies, contributing to the EU's transformation to a low-carbon energy system. The EST enables energy projects to use accurate data to align, adapt and transform their fossil fuel mobility into green, zero C02 mobility solutions. Having accurate data impacts communities ability to make informed business decisions and reduce their C02 footprint. The EST enabled identification, prioritisation and alignment of green project deliverables.
GenComm has also been the catalyst demonstrating how the Hydrogen economy can be developed and grown in each region and local community. Technologies including Hydrogen Vehicles (Double Deck Buses for Public Transport, Cars to operate as Taxi's) and Gas Grid injection are examples of how the local market opportunities can be identified and built upon.Â
Â
Our partners and associate partners within the GenComm project and within our wider work with HydrogenIreland and others on the global hydrogen stage, have for many years championed the Hydrogen Topography approach that provides choice for each region to develop specific clean hydrogen opportunities based on geographical renewables energy opportunities and not a sectoral ‘one size fits all’ type approach. This geographical approach is preferable to a widespread sectoral approach, will lead to increased demand and be the catalyst to create regional clean hydrogen supply and demand models, assist the creation of national hydrogen strategies that will create a cohesive SMART H2 European Clean Hydrogen Strategy.
Â
It is wonderful to now witness the ‘Hydrogen Topography’ strategy now recognised and included in all but name in the recently produced document ‘How to deliver on the EU Hydrogen Accelerator.’ https://hydrogeneurope.eu/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/How-to-deliver-on-the-EU-Hydrogen-Accelerator_Final.pdf This paper analyses the Hydrogen Accelerator proposed in the European Commission’s REPowerEU common action plan and suggests concrete additional EU actions necessary to realise its ’20-Mton-hydrogen-target-by-2030’,
Â
The endorses and reinforces our Hydrogen Topography approach recognising the benefits in developing hydrogen demand per geographical area instead of a sectoral approach. This paper proposes the need for additional actions to deliver this including;
• Converting regional ‘corridors’ that are scheduled to shift from low to high caloric gas to hydrogen instead.
• Fast-tracking the implementation of Important Projects of Common European Interests (IPCEI) and hydrogen valleys with the integrated conversion from gas to hydrogen.
• Connecting hydrogen valleys across Europe and expand geographically from these valleys while converting from gas to hydrogen
Â
We fully believe that geographical Green H2 specialisms dependant on the local renewables and availability is the way forward and represents a real opportunity to tackle our climate and energy crises. This will become more important when we look at the ‘forgotten cousins’ of renewables and extend our research base to include clean hydrogen production and storage from offshore wind, wave & tidal and geothermal renewable opportunities.
Â
GenComm has demonstrated that this geographical approach in developing, generating, storing, distributing and use of green hydrogen is preferable to a widespread sectoral approach and leads to increased demand, increases energy innovation, develops new technical opportunities on the EU Hydrogen Highway and stimulates the growth of the green economy.
Â
Â