Luxembourg has launched Luxembourg Hydrogen Valley (LuxHyVal), a project that targets the potential production of green hydrogen in Bascharage, south Luxembourg, in 2026. LuxHyVal is a collaborative effort of 17 partners from seven countries, with the University of Luxembourg as the main coordinator through Prof. Bradley Ladewig.
The hydrogen ecosystem of LuxHyVal is expected to make an important contribution to decarbonise the industrial hydrogen consumption of the country, using 100% renewable electricity to produce green hydrogen in Luxembourg.
Enovos and LuxEnergie, both subsidiaries of Encevo Group, intend to ensure the production of up to 1,750 kg of green hydrogen per day for use in industry and mobility by 2026, under implication of the engineering company Paul Wurth, headquartered in Luxembourg. The 6 MW electrolyser facility at the heart of the project is expected to be built in the industrial park of Bascharage.
The project will also have a direct positive impact for the economy through job creations, as well as for public mobility, as the bus companies Sales-Lentz and TICE will upgrade part of their fleet to fuel cell hydrogen (FCH) buses. Moreover, the green hydrogen produced in the electrolyser would enable industrial partner Ceratizit to replace its use of natural gas-derived hydrogen.
LuxHyVal is designed to be a sustainable and open ecosystem. With an overall budget of 39 million euros, LuxHyVal is expected to be funded through 8 million euros from the Clean Hydrogen Joint Undertaking, a European Union public-private partnership supporting research and innovation in hydrogen technologies, as well as contributions from the corporate partners, while pursuing further public and private funding opportunities. A final investment decision regarding the main capital investment for the project is expected at the beginning of 2025.
In a second stage, the expertise acquired by designing, building, and operating the first green hydrogen ecosystem in the Greater Region, should serve as a direct model for replicating valleys in Central (Czech Republic) and Eastern Europe (Ukraine), furthering EU’s ‘Fit for 55’ emission targets (reducing the EU emissions by at least 55% by 2030) and helping Ukraine’s reconstruction.
“We will need hydrogen to meet the EU emission targets, and with LuxHyVal, we are trying to make concrete advances towards a sustainable and cleaner future”, says Prof. Bradley Ladewig, holder of the Paul Wurth Chair in Energy Process Engineering and coordinator of the project. “Building large industrial infrastructure takes time and effort: we need to start now.”
“This collaborative enterprise fits perfectly the University’s mission to contribute to societal and sustainable development”, adds Prof. Jens Kreisel, rector of the University of Luxembourg. “Luxembourg Hydrogen Valley reflects international collaboration, partnerships in research and industry and a clear outlook on impact for society, which are all features this University values. We are proud to coordinate this joint effort through Professor Ladewig’s expertise.”
Stéphanie Obertin, Minister for Digitalisation and Minister for Research and Higher Education comments: “I welcome this initiative because it is in line with the national research and innovation strategy. Indeed, this collaborative project involving the University of Luxembourg and the Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology (LIST), to produce green hydrogen locally fits in perfectly with two of the country’s four priority interdisciplinary research areas, industrial and service transformation, as well as sustainable and responsible development.”
“The use of climate friendly and competitively priced hydrogen will be essential to decarbonise parts of our economy. It is one of my priorities to connect Luxembourg to a European hydrogen grid, in order to guarantee the access to competitive climate friendly hydrogen”, adds Lex Delles, Minister of the Economy, SMEs, Energy and Tourism.
“I congratulate the whole consortium for the successful launch of the LuxHyVal project.”
Press release by
University of luxembourg / Luxembourg Hydrogen Valley