H2SCALE is an international project involving four partners from four countries: Hungary, Slovenia, the Czech Republic and Germany.

The European Union's climate strategy emphasises the importance of developing renewable hydrogen industries as a key tool for reducing dependence on fossil fuels. The EU aims to reach 20 million tonnes of renewable hydrogen by 2030, which will make a significant contribution to the green transition.

The H2SCALE project supports this vision and aims to create local hydrogen ecosystems in the Danube region. The Danube countries are currently facing high energy costs and a heavy dependence on fossil fuels, which increases the need for reliable and sustainable energy solutions.

The main objectives of the H2SCALE project are:

• assess local potentials for hydrogen production and consumption;
• explore the possibilities of integrating hydrogen into energy systems and transport solutions;
• preparation of investment plans for certain solutions in local communities, and
• disseminating information and knowledge about hydrogen technologies, potentials and challenges.

Challenges addressed by the project:

• limited knowledge and competences for the use of hydrogen technologies at the local level,
• lack of stakeholder integration, and
• the current lack of strategic investments to allow for a wider deployment of hydrogen solutions.