The Portuguese government initiated an expression of interest process to promote hydrogen projects in mid-June. From the 74 proposals subsequently submitted with an investment volume of around 16 billion euros, the responsible authorities have now extracted 37 proposals with a volume of nine billion euros that meet the requirements of the tender, according to a statement from the Ministry for the Environment and Climate (Ministro do Ambiente da acao climatica, MAAC). These should include projects for the production and use of green hydrogen right up to the transport sector. Both Portuguese and other European companies “from the entire value chain” applied. No details were given.
An “in-depth review process” will now begin, after which the candidates to be supported will be selected. The submitted projects must be projects of common European interest (Important Project of Common European Interest, IPCEI), an initiative of the EU Commission as part of the European Hydrogen Strategy published on July 8th. The project committee includes government representatives from the areas of digital economy and transition, environment and climate protection, science, technology and higher education, and foreign affairs. The members are supported by the General Directorate of Energy and Geology.
According to media reports, Portugal has allocated a budget of 2 billion euros as part of its national hydrogen strategy (Estratégia Nacional para o Hidrogénio, EN-H40). In particular, the area around the city of Sines, Setúbal district, has been selected for a series of projects aimed at the production, storage and transport of green hydrogen on an industrial scale, said the Secretary of State for Energy, João Galamba.
Work to build the solar-powered hydrogen plant near the port of Sines would begin within a year and could attract up to five billion euros in private investment, Environment Minister Joao Matos Fernandes told Reuters. Commissioning is planned for 2023. The goal is a production output of one gigawatt by 2030.
Deep link:
https://www.portugal.gov.pt/pt/gc22/comunicacao/comunicado?i=metade-dos-projetos-de-hidrogenio-passam-a-fase-seguinte
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-portugal-energy/portugal-plans-new-hydrogen-plant-in-post-coronavirus-green-future-idUSKBN22C1T2
Photos:
37 companies from Portugal and other European countries have applied for funding for hydrogen projects. / © EU Commission / Mauro Bottaro
