Juliana Peshku* | Johan Augusto Bocanegra Cifuentes
| Davide Borelli | Elisa Fracchia | Emanuela Pallavidino | Jonathan Roberts | Corrado Schenone
© 2025 The authors. This article is published by IIETA and is licensed under the CC BY 4.0 license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
OPEN ACCESS
The global initiative to diminish reliance on non-renewable fuels has intensified in light of climate change imperatives. Green hydrogen, produced via renewable-powered electrolysis, is emerging as a critical solution for decarbonizing challenging sectors such as maritime transport. This paper discusses insights from the EU Interreg Marittimo-IT FR-Maritime H2MOVE project, a transnational effort to enhance green hydrogen utilization in Mediterranean ports. The project includes establishing a strategic cooperation committee, mapping the hydrogen ecosystem, analyzing legal frameworks, and developing a comprehensive “Masterplan” alongside technical feasibility studies. It emphasizes green hydrogen's vital role in reducing maritime greenhouse gas emissions while addressing pertinent technical, economic, and regulatory challenges. Key barriers include high production costs and logistical complexities. The H2MOVE project aims to provide a strategic framework for transforming Mediterranean ports into sustainable, decarbonized hubs, thereby contributing to a more environmentally friendly maritime industry.
green hydrogen, port decarbonization, masterplan, H2MOVE project
The maritime transport and port sector constitutes a global trade and economic infrastructure cornerstone, facilitating approximately 80% of international trade. Despite its essential economic role, the sector significantly contributes to environmental degradation, responsible for over 70% of total gaseous emissions, with additional pollutants stemming from port operations and infrastructure [1-3]. Decarbonizing Industrial Port Areas (IPAs) presents a complex challenge that necessitates a structured, phased approach, including energy efficiency measures, optimized logistical and spatial planning, and the integration of renewable energy sources (RES) [4, 5]. A comprehensive analysis by D. Pivetta in 2024 underscores the vital importance of hydrogen (H2) and its production technologies in decarbonization strategies for IPAs. This study highlights that while the increased adoption of RES can effectively reduce emissions, achieving complete decarbonization extends beyond mere electrification, requiring complex, capital-intensive solutions, particularly in large-scale H2 storage and carriers to harmonize RES supply with variable demand, amidst existing technical and economic barriers [1]. The European Union (EU) has designated H2 as a keystone for future energy systems, notably through the REPowerEU initiative [6], which aims to produce and import 10 million tons of renewable H2 by 2030 [2]. Green H2 is anticipated to serve as a strategic enabler, interlinking various industrial sectors including maritime, oil and gas, and cruise tourism, many of which are prevalent in port environments [3]. Research by Deloitte Belgium Energy and Climate for the Clean Hydrogen Partnership [7] reaffirms the significance of port ecosystems in the future H2 economy, projecting ports to become energy transit hubs for H2 importation and distribution while investing in infrastructure for H2 production and storage [8]. The study employs a scenario-based framework to forecast H2 demand and supply across European ports for 2030, 2040, and 2050, delineating the infrastructural requirements of the H2 value chain and proposing a strategic investment roadmap. Notably, up to 42% of the EU’s annual H2 demand by 2050 could be concentrated in port areas, underscoring the imperative for a “European Hydrogen Roadmap for Ports” to harness their full decarbonization potential. One case study examining Tuscany's western coast, particularly the ports of Livorno, Piombino, and Portoferraio, estimated H2 demand at approximately 39,000 tons by 2050, assuming centralized production in Livorno with a projected installed capacity of 172,500 MW. The study explored the decarbonization of maritime transport through H2-powered ferries and ammonia-fueled container vessels, suggesting ports could function as autonomous energy consumers. The strategic geographical positioning of Piombino suggests it could emerge as a key H2 hub, facilitating import flows from Latin America, North Africa, and the Middle East into Europe [4].
Nevertheless, H2, which presently constitutes only a modest fraction of both the global and European energy mix, remains predominantly derived from fossil fuels, particularly natural gas and coal, which emit between 70 and 100 million tons of CO₂ annually within the European Union. To substantively contribute to attaining climate neutrality, H2 production must be exponentially scaled and, crucially, transition to a fully carbon-free process. In the strategic framework for a climate-neutral European Union published in November 2019, it is anticipated that H2 will comprise a quarter of final energy consumption by 2050 [5].
A binational initiative, H2MOVE – Hydrogène pour une MObilité VErte et durable, has been initiated under the Interreg Italy–France Maritime Programme 2021–2027, aiming to bolster mobility resilience and enhance cross-border accessibility by developing an integrated strategy and action plans for H2-based systems in vehicular applications and port interconnections, extending to urban and industrial sites. Key activities include establishing a strategic cooperation committee to guide H2 development, mapping the regional H2 ecosystem, conducting regulatory analyses, assessing regional and EU strategies, drafting guiding principles, formulating a transnational “Masterplan” and executing technical and economic feasibility studies.
The Interreg Italy–France Maritime Programme 2021–2027 constitutes a cross-border initiative co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), within the framework of the European Territorial Cooperation (ETC) objective under the European Union’s Cohesion Policy for the programming period 2021–2027.
The program is formulated upon the following strategic priorities:
Priority 1: An attractive cross-border area of intelligent and sustainable modernization;
Priority 2: A resilient and resource-efficient cross-border area;
Priority 3: A physically and digitally connected cross-border area;
Priority 4: A cross-border area efficient in social capital and distinguished by the quality of its human capital;
Priority 5: Better cross-border governance.
Endowed with a total financial envelope of €193’296’077, the programme’s overarching objective is reinforcing institutional and territorial cooperation between the participating regions. It aspires to foster the emergence of a cross-border area that is not only economically competitive and socially cohesive but also environmentally sustainable, positioning it as a model of integrated development within the broader European and Mediterranean landscape.
The “H2MOVE” project, part of the Interreg Maritime initiative, is financed under the first call for proposals launched by the Italy-France Maritime Interreg Cooperation Program 2021–2027. It falls within Priority 3: A physically and digitally connected cross-border area, with priority specific objective to "Create and establish an advance a sustainable, intelligent, and climate-resilient intermodal mobility system at national, regional, and local levels, with a particular focus on enhancing access to the TEN-T network and fostering cross-border mobility."
With a total budget of €4.320.441,05 million, of which FESR funds 3.456.352.85 million and has a duration of 42 months, the H2MOVE project is spearheaded by the Regional Chamber of Commerce of Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur. The initiative is supported by a consortium of 14 cross-border partners (CAP_CapEnergies, CCI de Corse_Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Corse, UDCPP_University of Corsica Pasquale Paoli, RL_Liguria Region, AdSPMLOr_Eastern Ligurian Sea Port System Authority, CCIAA Genova_Genoa Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Handicraft and Agriculture, UNIGE_University of Genoa, RT_Tuscany Region, ADSP MTS_The North Tyrrhenian Sea Ports System, UNIPI_University of Pisa, RAS_Autonomous Region of Sardinia, UNICA_Interuniversity Economic Research and Mobility Center - University of Cagliari, REGION SUD_Regional Council Provence Alpes Côte d'Azur, MINES_MINES Paris PSL) operating within the geographical cooperation program as rapresented in Figure 1.
Figure 1. Geographic cooperation program
The H2MOVE project tackles the challenge of resilient accessibility by strategically planning measures to reduce environmental impacts in port areas, thereby promoting territorial continuity. Aligned with the overarching goal of achieving climate neutrality in the cross-border maritime sector, the initiative seeks to define a comprehensive macro-strategy for H₂ development in ports and related areas. This strategy will serve as a coordinated framework complementing current and future national initiatives, including those in Italy's and France's 2030 recovery plans.
To achieve this, the project is structured into three interrelated work packages (WP), each with defined objectives, corresponding activities, and deliverables.
3.1 WP1 - Governance and preliminary analysis
This aims to establish a strategic cooperation committee where all contribute to H2 mobility development through coordinated planning, impact assessment, and scientific support, as well as develop a comprehensive mapping of H2-related stakeholders, projects, and initiatives in the maritime area.
Figure 2. Strategic committee composition
Activity 1.1: Strategic Cooperation Committee
The strategic cooperation committee (see Figure 2) is formed to guide H2 development in the cooperation area. Based on the quintuple helix model, the committee will provide strategic oversight, coherence, impact evaluation, and coordination. Members will include academic partners, local authorities, chambers of commerce, H2 associations (e.g., France Hydrogène, H2IT), and port authorities.
Activity 1.2: Ecosystem Mapping
A detailed segmentation and mapping of the H2 ecosystem will be conducted, covering both supply and demand. It will identify producers, existing and potential value chain actors, end-users, and relevant ongoing projects. This will support the creation of a digital platform to visualize the ecosystem and its capacities.
Activity 1.3: Legal Framework Analysis
This activity analyzes the cross-border regulatory landscape, focusing on H2 classification, tracking mechanisms, and support schemes. The goal is to identify legal barriers and promote regulatory alignment between Italy and France.
Activity 1.4: Strategic Context Review
The component concludes with a comparative review of regional, national, and EU H2 strategies, identifying gaps and best practices.
3.2 WP2 - Cross-Border Masterplan
This component concentrates on developing a comprehensive Cross-Border Masterplan, serving as a strategic roadmap for the H2 sector within the cooperation area. Based on the results of WP1 and aligned with 2030 and 2050 decarbonization objectives, the Masterplan will be articulated through five regional action plans, each tailored to the partner regions' territorial specificities and strategic needs. The component also includes a robust dissemination strategy, fostering awareness among scientific, institutional, and general audiences, and cultivating broad support for H2 as a clean energy vector.
Activity 2.1: Strategic Guidelines for the Masterplan and Action Plans
This activity entails formulating a methodological framework to guide the development of the Masterplan and the associated regional action plans. With inputs from the strategic cooperation committee, the framework will define the analytical structure, data collection protocols, decision-making processes, and thematic chapters necessary to ensure a coherent and systematic approach. It will act as a foundational tool to streamline collaboration and optimize the implementation of H2 mobility strategies.
Activity 2.2: Formulation of the Cross-Border Masterplan
The Masterplan will offer a strategic vision for the cross-border H2 sector, promoting a unified and sustainable approach to H₂ mobility in response to shared climate challenges. Informed by the conclusions of WP1 (notably deliverable D.1.4), the plan will outline medium and long term development trajectories (to 2030 and 2050), aligning regional policies and guiding stakeholders toward an integrated H2 economy. The plan will be developed collaboratively with the strategic committee to ensure policy coherence and operational relevance.
Activity 2.3: Regional Action and Perspective Plans
To account for territorial diversity within the cooperation area, the Masterplan will be operationalized through five regional action and foresight plans, structured around three core dimensions:
Each plan will incorporate a holistic vision of the H2 value chain, encompassing production, transport, and storage.
3.3 WP3 - Implementation
This component focuses on transitioning from strategic planning to practical action, prioritizing the initial deployment of pilot initiatives based on regional action plans, with a strong emphasis on a green transition for port ecosystems. Central to this phase is integrating green H2 into port areas, cross-border mobility, industrial sectors, and private operations to support decarbonization, territorial cohesion, and environmental sustainability.
This phase aims to engage stakeholders across the quintuple helix: academia, industry, government, civil society, and the environmental sectors, leveraging the consortium's technical expertise and the strategic cooperation committee's outreach capabilities.
Activity 3.1: Stimulating Demand and Structuring Supply
This activity will launch a cross-border digital platform to map key H₂ ecosystem actors, infrastructures, and capacity. The platform will:
Activity 3.2: Governance and Territorial Planning Tools
The territorial planning tool consists in a Decision Support System (DSS) to guide land-use planning and H₂ infrastructure investments. Building on territorial modeling tools, the DSS will be adapted to the cross-border maritime context, offering:
Activity 3.3: Techno-Economic Feasibility Studies
This activity encompasses feasibility studies to evaluate H2 use in port operations, logistics, and energy systems, including:
These studies will provide valuable insights for investment and policy planning, ensuring that H2 infrastructure development meets both economic and environmental goals.
The H2MOVE project started in March 2024 and is scheduled for completion in August 2027. It comprises seven semi-annual periods to ensure structured implementation and progress monitoring. The project is currently in Period P3, which will conclude in August 2025. Some deliverables are scheduled for each end period.
As part of the WP1 ‘governance and preliminary analysis’, four deliverables were prepared.
The D1.1.1 consisted of the composition of the strategic cooperation committee (see Figure 2), within the cooperation area, providing planning methodologies, coherence analyses, impact assessments, and coordination functions. The role of this committee will be crucial in addressing the technical and logistical challenges associated with the potential creation of a cross-border H2 valley between Italy and France. The project aims to foster a transition towards climate neutrality by focusing on the maritime dimension and positioning the ports as drivers of sustainable mobility. This strategic collaboration will enable the exploration of new solutions for sustainable mobility, considering the local specificities and the territories’ involved needs. Participation was not limited to project partners; it also included external experts, and it will be maintained beyond the project duration to strengthen sustainable territorial continuity.
The second deliverable, D1.2.1, denominated ‘segmenting and mapping the hydrogen ecosystem’ within the H2MOVE Geographic Area aimed to identify and map H2-related projects within the maritime cooperation region and its surrounding areas, thereby supporting the formulation of cross-border strategic plans and contributing to the development of a comprehensive H2 roadmap for ports and adjacent zones. It contained initiatives related to H2 production, transportation, or consumption, including its derivatives such as methanol, ammonia, syngas, and electrofuels. A preliminary investigation based on the websites of the Clean Hydrogen Partnership [7], which addresses the Clean Hydrogen Valleys, the EU Green Deal Alliance concerning pipeline initiatives, and the International Energy Agency (IEA) [9] database, has identified approximately 200 active, approved, or to be activated projects within Italy. This initial survey was subsequently supplemented by a comprehensive analysis utilizing data from various informational sources, including media outlets, official websites, data providers, and interviews with local stakeholders and experts engaged in these projects. As a result, the study has cataloged a total of 122 H2-related initiatives, comprising 78 in France and 44 in Italy. Along with several linear infrastructure projects (H2 pipelines), have been mapped and are now accessible online in both French and Italian versions of the map, as represented in Figure 3.
Figure 3. H2 projects mapping (Overview of the projects in the cooperation area) [10, 11]
The dataset offers detailed and structured insights for each project, encompassing the initiative's nature, the lead developer or operating entity, associated stakeholders, projected production capacity, implementation status, anticipated commencement date, primary energy source, electrolyser specifications, and H2 storage and generation parameters.
D1.3.1, devoted to the legal framework in both countries and barriers to overcome, provides an overview of the regulatory landscape governing the installation of green H2 facilities in Italy and France, highlighting key administrative procedures based on the electrolyser’s capacity and location. It outlines the applicable legal regimes as Free Activity, Simplified Enabling Procedure (PAS), and Single Authorization (AU), offering a structured synthesis of the authorization pathways and potential legal barriers to cross-border H2 development.
D1.4.1 provides an in-depth analysis of the role of H2 in the energy transition, focusing on strategies for H2 deployment in EU member states leading the H2-driven transition. It explores the EU regulatory framework governing H2 production, transport, storage, distribution, and end-use. Special attention is given to technical regulations related to H2 production, transportation, and distribution, as well as its industrial applications and use in mobility. Additionally, the report identifies key challenges related to H2 safety and lists the international and national safety regulations, such as EC 60079 and IEC 80079 for explosion protection, and ISO 22734 and ISO 19880 for infrastructure, providing essential guidelines. At the European level, CEN/CLC/JTC 6/WG 3 focuses on H2 safety standards.
The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) has developed the NFPA 2: H2 Technologies Code, which addresses the safe handling of H2 in various forms (GH2 and LH2). NFPA standards often complement European regulations by covering additional scenarios.
Additionally, the Bureau de normalisation du Québec (BNQ) established the CAN/BNQ 1784-000/2022 standard for H2-related installations in Canada, ensuring alignment with Canadian and ISO requirements.
These standards are critical in overcoming safety concerns and facilitating the widespread adoption of H2 technologies.
Regarding WP2, just the deliverable 2.1.1 ‘guidelines for the strategy and action plans’ is already defined, which consists of developing a structured and jointly agreed framework to guide the formulation of the Masterplan and regional action plans. This framework outlines the methodologies for data collection, analysis, and decision-making processes, while identifying the key chapters to be developed, thus ensuring a coherent, systematic, and harmonized approach across the cross-border area.
The H2MOVE project represents a critical step toward decarbonization in the cross-border Italy-France maritime region, facilitating the transition to a sustainable H2-based economy. By establishing Strategic Cooperation, creating a Strategic committee, comprehensively mapping the H2 ecosystem, and analyzing legal frameworks, the project lays the groundwork for a coordinated and integrated H2 infrastructure.
The project's focus on governance, feasibility studies, and cross-border planning ensures a systematic approach to overcoming technical, regulatory, and logistical challenges.
A key deliverable of the initiative is the Cross-Border Masterplan, which plays a fundamental role in aligning regional strategies with EU decarbonization goals. It provides a structured, forward-looking framework to guide investments, infrastructure development, and policy alignment across different territorial contexts. This strategic roadmap ensures coherence among regional action plans and helps steer stakeholder collaboration toward a shared vision for H2 deployment in transport, industry, and civil sectors.
Notable achievements, such as identifying the hydrogen-related initiatives, demonstrate significant progress in aligning regional actions with EU decarbonization objectives. The development of strategic guidelines and regional action plans further supports the creation of a cohesive H2 roadmap for ports and industrial sectors. The successful execution of these initiatives will be pivotal in meeting the EU’s climate neutrality targets by 2050.
This work has been developed in the framework of the EU cooperation project H2MOVE Hydrogène pour une MObilité VErte et durable, which has received funding from the European Union’s INTERREG IT‑FR “Marittimo” Programme 2021‑2027, CUP D33C23001420006.
[1] Puig, M., Darbra, R.M. (2019). The role of ports in a global economy, issues of relevance and environmental initiatives. In World Seas: An Environmental Evaluation. Elsevier, pp. 593–611. https://doi.org/10.1016/b978-0-12-805052-1.00034-6
[2] Rødseth, K.L., Schøyen, H., Wangsness, P.B. (2020). Decomposing growth in Norwegian seaport container throughput and associated air pollution. Transportation Research Part D: Transport and Environment, 85: 102391. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.trd.2020.102391
[3] Notteboom, T., Pallis, A., Rodrigue, J.P. (2021). Port Economics, Management and Policy. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780429318184
[4] Iris, Ç., Lam, J.S.L. (2019). A review of energy efficiency in ports: Operational strategies, technologies and energy management systems. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 112: 170-182. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rser.2019.04.069
[5] Sifakis, N., Tsoutsos, T. (2021). Planning zero-emissions ports through the nearly zero energy port concept. Journal of Cleaner Production, 286: 125448. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2020.125448
[6] European Commission. (2022). REPowerEU: A plan to rapidly reduce dependence on Russian fossil fuels and fast forward the green transition. https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/api/files/document/print/en/ip_22_3131/IP_22_3131_EN.pdf.
[7] Clean Hydrogen Partnership. (2023). Study-hydrogen ports and industrial coastal areas reports. https://www.clean-hydrogen.europa.eu/media/publications/study-hydrogen-ports-and-industrial-coastal-areas-reports_en.
[8] Lind, M., Pettersson, S., Karlsson, J., Steijaert, B., Hermansson, P., Haraldson, S., Axell, M., Zerem, A. (2020). Sustainable ports as energy hubs. RISE Research Institutes of Sweden. https://doi.org/10.13140/RG.2.2.15434.70084
[9] IEA. (2019). The future of hydrogen. https://iea.blob.core.windows.net/assets/8ab96d80-f2a5-4714-8eb5-7d3c157599a4/English-Future-Hydrogen-ES.pdf.
[10] Pivetta, D., Dall’Armi, C., Sandrin, P., Bogar, M., Taccani, R. (2024). The role of hydrogen as enabler of industrial port area decarbonization. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 189: 113912. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rser.2023.113912
[11] H2MOVE project. (2024). H2 projects mapping. https://umap.openstreetmap.fr/it/map/h2move_1158503#7/44.860/8.119.
