Green Skills and Knowledge for Hydrogen

Green Skills and Knowledge for Hydrogen (Green SKHy) is an Interreg North-West Europe project aimed at advancing the hydrogen sector in Europe by focusing on the development of skills and knowledge required for a sustainable energy transition. In order to achieve climate neutrality by 2050, the European Commission presented a hydrogen strategy in July 2020 aimed at accelerating the development of clean hydrogen. Hydrogen must be one of the pillars of the European energy system, in conjunction with renewable energies that must feed or complement it, and allow the decarbonisation of industry and mobility while contributing to the European Union's energy independence.

In 2023, local and national projects related to hydrogen, both private and public, are multiplying, particularly in North-Western Europe, one of the most energy-intensive areas of the continent. Although the use of hydrogen is not new, the new dimension taken on by this sector will have an impact on many trades and will require a vast effort in training and certification of skills, as well as acculturation of the general public. Building the hydrogen industry means building a European community of skills to serve the energy transition and prevent shortages of skilled labour.

Clean hydrogen sector

The aim of our project is to promote the development of the clean hydrogen sector by reducing the obstacles to the European recognition of skills and related systems through joint action plans and by promoting careers that can contribute to the energy transition through new practical training schemes. This ambition involves networking the actors in charge of skills and certifications, developing and testing specific training and acculturation modules, and implementing campaigns to promote the hydrogen sector and its opportunities. By bringing together within the consortium companies, public authorities as well as the main actors of initial and continuous training, the project should therefore support the development of a key sector for the energy transition by ensuring the empowerment of a large audience.

Together with 17 partners, this Human Capital programme is designed around needed hydrogen skills in the upcoming scale-up in Europe. Written within the priority around a smart and fair energy transition. The project has an extensive activity package of almost 9 million Euro. Professor Aravind Vellayani, Director Hydrogen Economy at WOS, is the project lead at the University of Groningen.

Academic training

The University of Groningen is involved in mapping the range of academic training solutions available in the Netherlands. We are also contributing state-of-the-art teaching equipment to support these efforts. Additionally, we are organising at least five visits to hydrogen labs and training facilities, engaging a total of 100 participants, primarily from enterprises and public sectors. In addition to that, together with DWG and PLANET, we are jointly developing a practical training scheme using a mobile training facility to benefit 30 participants, including students and PhD candidates. Furthermore, we are organising five information sessions on hydrogen, targeting 100 multipliers such as secondary school teachers, and three large-scale sessions to promote hydrogen careers to 300 secondary school pupils, students, and PhD students.

Through these activities, the Green SKHy project aims to build a strong foundation for hydrogen education and career development, supporting the transition to a sustainable energy future.

Partners

• Afpa
• Automotive NL
• Cluster TWEED
• Deutsche Windguard
• HAN/ACE
• Haute Ecole d'Ingénierie et d'Architecture - Freiburg
• Klimapartner Oberrhein
• Kolping Bildung Deutschland
• MENJE - Service pour la formation professionnelle
• PLANET
• Pôle Véhicule du futur
• Technifutur
• Université de Franche-Comté
• Université de Lorraine
• Université de Liège
• Université du Luxembourg