The REFHYNE project will install and operate a 10MW electrolyser from ITM Power at a large refinery in Rhineland, Germany, which is operated by Shell Deutschland Oils. The electrolyser will provide bulk quantities of hydrogen to the refinery’s hydrogen pipeline system (currently supplied by two steam methane reformers). The electrolyser will be operated in a highly responsive mode, helping to balance the refinery’s internal electricity grid and also selling Primary Control Reserve service to the German Transmission System Operators. The combination of hydrogen sales to the refinery and balancing payments create a business case which justifies this installation. This business case will be evaluated in detail, in a 2 year campaign of techno-economic and environmental analysis. The REFHYNE business model is replicable in markets with a similar regulatory structure to Germany. However, to expand this market to a GW scale, new business models will be needed. These will include valuing green hydrogen as an input to industrial processes (to meet carbon policy targets) and also on sales to H2 mobility markets. The REFHYNE project will gather real world data on these models and will use this to simulate the bulk electrolyser model in a range of market conditions. This will be used to produce reports on the conditions under which the electrolyser business models become viable, in order to provide the evidence base required to justify changes in existing policies. A campaign of targeted dissemination will ensure the results of these studies reach decision makers in large industrial sites, financiers, utilities and policy makers. The REFHYNE electrolyser will be the largest in the world and has been designed as the building block for future electrolysers up to 100MW and beyond. REFHYNE includes a design study into the options for a 100MW electrolyser at the Rhineland refinery, which will help prepare the market for deployments at this scale.

Education and training for the fuel cell and hydrogen (FCH) technology sector is critical for the current and future workforce as well as for the further implementation of a promising technology within Europa. The project NET-Tools will develop an e-infrastructure and provide digital tools and information service for educational issues and training within FCH technologies based on most recent IT tools. NET-Tools will constitute a technology platform, leveraging robust and effective open source/free learning management systems while offering a unique blend of novel digital tools encompassing the spheres of information, education and research. With its two main pillars e-Education, e-Laboratory, the project addresses various target groups and levels of education - from higher schools and universities (undergraduate and graduate students) to professionals and engineers from industry, offering both e-learning modules and on-line experimental techniques. The main goal is to develop new e-education methods and concepts, ICT-based services and tools for data- and computer-intensive research to enhance the knowledge, productivity and competitiveness of those interested or already directly involved in the massive implementation of H2 and FCH technologies in Europe. NET-Tools will be delivered combining the expertise of major experts and practitioners on FCH sector under the guidance of leading companies gathered in a board, while interacting with similar activities in US, Asia and South Africa. It has the capacity to pave the road to more efficient digital science combining latest technical achievements and an internet culture of openness and creativity, while pursuing the ambition to become the hydrogen counterpart of Coursera. The developement of business concepts will guide NET-Tools as an e-infrastructure useable for FCH-Community into the future.

To prevent catastrophic climate change, we must rapidly shift to low carbon, renewable energies. Yet, 65% of Europe’s energy demand is still met by natural gas and other fossil fuels. Hydrogen provides solutions to several energy and climate problems. Geological hydrogen storage, like today’s natural gas storage, is needed to store variable renewable energies and flexibly provide green hydrogen mobility, industry and residential uses. HYPSTER aims to demonstrate the industrial-scale operation of cyclic H2 storage in salt caverns to support the emergence of the hydrogen energy economy in Europe in line with overall Hydrogen Europe road-mapping. The specific objectives are to: •Define relevant cyclic tests to be performed based on modelling and the needs of emerging hydrogen regions across Europe •Demonstrate the viable operation of H2 cyclic storage for the full range of use-cases of emerging European hydrogen regions •Assess the economic feasibility of large-scale cyclic H2 storage to define the roadmap for future replication across the EU •Assess the risks and environmental impacts of H2 cyclic storage in salt caverns and provide guidelines for safety, regulations and standards •Commit at least 3 companies to using the hydrogen storage and 3 potential sites to replicate the cyclic hydrogen storage elsewhere in Europe on a commercial-scale by the end of the project HYPSTER will pave the way towards replication with the target to go below 1€/kg for H2 storage cost for the potential 40 TWh salt cavern storage sites in Europe. The project coordinator STORENGY will massively invest for the upscaling of Europe’s first large-scale, cyclic salt cavern in operation by 2025 and 3 more targeted by 2030. HYPSTER brings together 9 European partners including 2 RTOs for technology development, and 6 industries including 2 SME, plus 1 public-private cluster association to ensure maximum dissemination and uptake of HYPSTER results.