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Hy2Market’s 5th Consortium Meeting in Gijón: Advancing Europe’s Hydrogen Ecosystems

ERIG participated in the fifth consortium meeting of the Hy2Market project took place on 5–6 May 2026 in Gijón, Asturias, bringing together more than 60 representatives from over 35 partner organisations for two days of intensive exchange and collaboration.

While the Hy2Market project’s central objective is to develop a mature hydrogen value chain across Europe, ERIG’s role is to facilitate the exchange of knowledge and experiences between the participating regions, ensuring that lessons learned from regional pilots are shared and replicated across Europe.

 

The meeting in Gijón marked an important milestone in the project’s progress and reinforced the shared ambition to develop robust and functional regional hydrogen ecosystems in Europe.

Key highlights
  • Project progress and coordination: Updates on project implementation, milestones, and cross-partner collaboration were presented, alongside discussions on risk mitigation and overall programme status.
  • Policy and regulatory exchange: Partners shared insights on regulatory and policy challenges that impact the deployment and scaling of hydrogen solutions. ERIG is centrally involved in this activity, leading the development of a policy letter that builds on these discussions and incorporates the experiences of Hy2Market partners from their pilot sites within the project.
  • Pilot developments across Europe: Progress was reported on multiple pilot activities, including hydrogen integration in turbines, compression technologies, and infrastructure developments such as transfer and transport solutions.
From strategy to implementation

A key highlight of the meeting was the visit to the EDP Aboño Power Plant, including a guided tour of the retrofitted former coal plant, which is set to operate on hydrogen. This visit provided first-hand insights into how existing industrial infrastructure can be adapted to integrate hydrogen at scale, demonstrating concrete and practical pathways towards large-scale decarbonisation.

In addition, partners showcased advances in hydrogen mobility and regional pilots, underlining the project’s role in translating innovative technologies into real-world applications across Europe.

Strengthening the European hydrogen market

Overall, the meeting underscored Hy2Market’s dual approach: combining technological demonstration with active contribution to regulatory frameworks needed for market uptake. By fostering collaboration across regions, industry, and research, the consortium continues to contribute to building a competitive and integrated European hydrogen economy.