H2Green = Future or Present: Legislative-Regulatory Forum in Zasavje

In her opening address, Tina Seršen, State Secretary responsible for energy at MOPE, emphasised:

“I am pleased that the Regional Development Agency Zasavje, together with partners from Slovenia and Austria and with the professional support of the National Institute of Chemistry, is taking an active role in promoting dialogue between the state, industry, research institutions and local communities. Only through the collaboration of all stakeholders can we ensure a just transition that leaves no one behind.

Today’s forum raises key questions – how to make the legislative and regulatory environment more conducive to the development of hydrogen technologies, how to accelerate the implementation of pilot projects, and how to strengthen local energy communities, which will be the foundation of a new, resilient energy future.

I would like to particularly stress the importance of communication – not only between institutions but also with the public, the education system, and young people. Zasavje is already showing the way by integrating energy and hydrogen topics into school curricula – and this is the right direction: from the history of coal to the future of hydrogen.”

Participants highlighted the importance of clear legislative frameworks and a supportive environment for the faster development of hydrogen technologies and the establishment of common (cross-border) standards. Good practice examples were presented from three Austrian federal states, from the North Adriatic Hydrogen Valley (NAHV) in Italy and Croatia, and from Zasavje, where a new research unit of the National Institute of Chemistry — the Center for Development, Demonstration and Training in Carbon-Free Technologies (Center DUBT) — is being established.

“The main objective of preparing the Hydrogen Action Plan is to propose measures and recommendations to decision-makers to establish an enabling development environment for a sustainable hydrogen ecosystem in Slovenia, supporting the further development of hydrogen production, use, and infrastructure, in line with NEPN and other strategic development directions of Slovenia,” said Stane Merše, Jožef Stefan Institute.

“Hydrogen is not just the energy of the future – through the NAHV project, we are bringing it into the present. To succeed, we need a clear and enabling legislative framework that will allow the development of a hydrogen society in Slovenia and beyond,” added Jerneja Sedlar, HSE.

The forum underlined that hydrogen technologies represent one of the possible solutions for decarbonising the energy, industrial and transport sectors and achieving the objectives of the European Green Deal. Participants agreed that cooperation between science, business, and local communities is essential to successfully implement these technologies in practice and to create new opportunities for sustainable development in Zasavje and the wider region.

The event was held in Zasavje because the region represents a traditional energy environment undergoing comprehensive economic and energy restructuring. In recent years, Zasavje has positioned itself as a promising region for integrating hydrogen technologies due to its natural resources, robust energy and transport (rail) infrastructure, and demonstrated hydrogen solutions in energy-intensive industries. Additionally, the region has a strong base of SMEs for developing support services in the hydrogen value chain, high technical expertise, and one of the most advanced new public research institutions in Europe — Center DUBT, which connects science, industry, and the community in the fields of batteries, hydrogen technologies, and carbon dioxide. These characteristics make Zasavje one of the key development environments for testing, validating, and scaling up carbon-free technologies in Slovenia and beyond.

The H2GreenFUTURE project, which started in December 2023 as a continuation of the H2GreenTECH project, brings together partners from Slovenia and Austria to address the challenges associated with developing hydrogen technologies for the transition to a carbon-neutral society in both countries. The growing impact of climate change and the need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions underline the importance of developing carbon-neutral technologies, where hydrogen plays a major role.

In addition to developing pilot hydrogen technology infrastructure (an integrated hydrogen energy demonstrator) at Forschung Burgenland, the project focuses on creating a comprehensive innovation ecosystem with a stable legislative framework supporting the energy transition to renewable energy at the regional and national levels. It also supports the development of knowledge, skills, and competences in hydrogen technologies by integrating these topics into curricula and employee training programmes.

The preparation of educational content is coordinated by Carinthia University of Applied Sciences, while RRAZ, in cooperation with the “Zasavsko učno stičišče Preplet” project — a consortium of most Zasavje schools — is piloting their introduction into secondary schools in the region.

In addition to theoretical and practical demonstrations in classrooms, schools and companies will also have access to training at the Center DUBT. According to Ilja Gasan Osojnik Črnivec, Head of the H₂ and CO₂ Demonstration Laboratory at the National Institute of Chemistry,

“The laboratory represents an important milestone in Zasavje’s energy transition, as science and industry are joining forces to find sustainable energy solutions for the region’s future. It will enable the development and testing of advanced solutions for green and low-emission hydrogen, carbon dioxide capture, and efficient resource use.”

The event concluded with a roundtable focused on key legislative and regulatory challenges and formulating proposals and recommendations to accelerate the development of hydrogen technologies.

The discussion was moderated by Jure Vetršek from the Innovation and Development Institute of the University of Ljubljana (IRI UL), with speakers sharing diverse perspectives and experiences on introducing hydrogen technologies in practice.

The roundtable complemented the technical part of the forum with an exchange of views on opportunities, challenges, and necessary steps for further development in Slovenia and the wider region.

More information is available on the Hydrogen Center platform or on LinkedIn @h2greenfutureproject.
The H2GreenFUTURE project is coordinated by the National Institute of Chemistry and co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund under the Interreg SI-AT programme.
The project leader at the National Institute of Chemistry is Blaž Likozar (blaz.likozar@ki.si), and it is implemented at the Department of Catalysis and Reaction Engineering.