INNOVATION AND TECHNOLOGY
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LEADERSHIP OF THE BASQUE HYDROGEN CORRIDOR (BH2C)

EIC’S DRIVING FORCE COMPANY.

R&D PROJECTS IN 2024
The IRIA project is an initiative undertaken by the companies REPSOL, S.A. (REPSOL), PETRÓLEOS DEL NORTE, S.A. (PETRONOR) and TRADIA TELECOM, S.A., and has been financed by the European Union through NextGenerationEU funds. IRIA will enable us to have a private 5G network in the industrial area that will support the deployment of various use cases, such as, the deployment of robots, remote expert assistance, or connected personal devices, among others, as well as continuing to advance in the digital transformation of the company. This project has a €4.6 M budget.


The PRESTAMAR project will be an innovative, non-intrusive solution for decision-making support at our maritime terminal and the management of port operations in a smarter, more efficient and sustainable way during loading and unloading manoeuvres. This project has been financed by the Ports 4.0 capital fund, which is the corporate open innovation model, adopted by State Ports and the Spanish Port Authorities. This project has a €0.3 M budget.
The purpose of ONTZHi is to research technologies and solutions for hydrogen storage and transport that are safer, more compact, cost-effective and sustainable.
ONTZHi aims to increase knowledge in the field of H2 interaction with materials used in A&T systems and to design systems to protect materials from hydrogen to avoid degradation phenomena in metals and composites.
In addition, ONTZHi will develop new, more sustainable materials and processes for mobility tanks. Upon completion, ONTZHi will have developed 2 lab-scale demonstrators at least:
- One H2 barrier coating demonstrator.
- A recyclable composite tank demonstrator.
At least one computational model will also be elaborated and used to define and develop simplified characterisation methods.


This is a project to be developed by a consortium consisting of 12 companies, with the added participation of 2 centres, belonging to RVCTI, with the aim of researching different technological solutions for the physical and digital implementation of an integral hydrogen ecosystem that optimally connects and manages the end uses of hydrogen with the production, distribution and dispensing infrastructure, with three lines of work:
- Optimising the processes of the entire value chain, through an advanced platform that treats and analyses the obtained data from connectivity with all equipment, and using artificial intelligence techniques, providing prediction and optimisation services.
- Training with the most advanced tools to optimise compression, storage, distribution and dispensing equipment for the supply of hydrogen for mobility and other uses.
- Designing hydrogen energy systems capable of flexibly supplying the energy needs of use cases in the steel sector, metal containers, port logistics, data centres, ….


Aims to deploy a renewable hydrogen generation and supply infrastructure for industrial and mobility use. To this end, the next initiatives will be implemented:
- The renewable hydrogen received at the refinery, from 10MW electrolyser located in the Port of Bilbao, will be purified to mobility quality.
- The purified hydrogen will be transported to the Abanto Technology Park by means of a 1.9km hydrogen pipeline. The purified renewable hydrogen will arrive at the Technology Park’s Logistic Plant where it will be compressed and stored at different pressure levels, for cylinder or MEGC refilling from 3 loading bays that will transport hydrogen to Hydroline stations and end customers.
- Next to the logistics plant and taking profit of the storage conducted in this one, a Hydroline station will be located will be located for public dispensation to light and heavy vehicles.
- The mobility quality renewable hydrogen will be taken by MEGC to the public satellite hydro station located at the Bilbao airport where it can be dispensed to light, heavy and handling vehicles.
- Hydrogen vehicles that ARE subsidized to recharge at one of the two gas stations are 1 intercity bus, 1 truck and 7 urban buses.


The H2BASQUE project aims to develop innovative technologies and their key components for green hydrogen generation such as PEM (Proton Exchange Membrane) electrolysis, AEM (Anion Exchange Membrane) electrolysis and thermochemical cycles at a competitive cost.
It will contribute to the development of innovative green hydrogen generation technologies that will: reduce cost; reduce CO2 emissions and the use of critical materials; and improve the performance of hydrogen production processes.
The project has received funding from the Basque Government’s ELKARTEK 2021 program.

