Border region accelerates development of hydrogen infrastructure with new Interreg project HY-Infra
POM Limburg helps build a strong position for the region in the European hydrogen economy
POM Limburg, WaterstofNet and Cluster Tweed are joining forces with partners from the Netherlands and Germany in the new Interreg project ‘HY-Infra’. The cross-border initiative aims to accelerate the development of hydrogen infrastructure in the Meuse-Rhine region. To this end, the project partners address shared challenges related to hydrogen infrastructure, demand aggregation and hydrogen quality. The partners also include ZBT and ANPLICON GmbH.
Hydrogen is essential to achieve European climate and energy objectives. The Meuse-Rhine region has a strong industrial base, logistics sector and inland shipping activities. “Fragmented infrastructure planning, uncertainty about cross-border connections and limited insight into hydrogen quality currently slow down large-scale deployment. These barriers delay scale-up, investment certainty and broad adoption,” explains Stefan Neis, HY-Infra project manager at WaterstofNet. “Infrastructure in the three countries must be aligned. HY-Infra is now being launched to cooperate on rollout, permitting, etc., and to highlight the regional importance and business involvement.”
Modular roadmap
HY-Infra aims to develop an integrated, cross-border framework for hydrogen infrastructure planning between 2026 and 2035. The focus is on the backbone (industry) and hydrogen refuelling infrastructure for, among others, trucks and inland shipping. The project maps regional hydrogen demand, aligns infrastructure plans across borders and develops a modular roadmap for stakeholders.
Mobile laboratory
As hydrogen quality is crucial, the project develops innovative solutions to monitor that quality, including a mobile laboratory and a multi-gas analysis system. These tools support cross-border pilot activities and contribute to the establishment of a ‘Hydrogen Quality Competence Center’ at the German project partner ZBT.
By strengthening cooperation between industry, SMEs, research institutions and public authorities, HY-Infra aims to create a platform for companies investing in hydrogen technologies. This will also strengthen the position of the Meuse-Rhine region as an emerging European hydrogen innovation hub.
Knowledge exchange
The project also provides for the creation of a transnational database with data on hydrogen demand, infrastructure planning, permits and hydrogen quality. In addition, the partners organise workshops and a final conference to exchange knowledge between companies, policymakers and regional stakeholders.
HY-Infra aligns with broader European initiatives such as the EU Hydrogen Backbone, AFIR infrastructure for transport and the RH2INE corridor for inland shipping. In this way, the Meuse-Rhine region takes on an active role in the European hydrogen transition. The project runs for three years, until the end of 2028.
