Interview with Anxo Álvarez, researcher at the Galician Institute of Technology (ITG) and member of AIHRE
Anxo Álvarez Pardiñas is a researcher at the Galician Institute of Technology (ITG) and holds a PhD in Industrial Engineering from the University of Vigo. He has international experience as a researcher at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), which has enabled him to bring a global perspective to the innovation projects in which he participates.
In the AIHRE project, Álvarez promotes technological development linked to renewable hydrogen from the ITG, reinforcing Galicia's position as a key territory in the energy transition. We spoke with him about the role of this institute in the AIHRE project, advances in hydrogen-related technologies, and the opportunities that this energy vector offers both Galicia and the POCTEP region.
- What is the main contribution of ITG within the AIHRE project?
The ITG's main contribution within AIHRE focuses on the development of simulation tools for renewable hydrogen-based projects. Our goal is to facilitate comprehensive analysis of their technical, economic and environmental viability, as well as to support the definition of business models adapted to the context of the POCTEP region. These tools will enable administrations, companies and local agents to easily and accurately assess the potential of their projects, reducing uncertainty and accelerating decision-making.
- What specific lines of research or developments are you leading in the field of renewable hydrogen?
At ITG, we are leading several initiatives to facilitate the implementation of renewable hydrogen in the POCTEP region. On the one hand, we have developed a numerical tool that allows developers and industry players to perform a preliminary sizing of energy systems that integrate renewable hydrogen. This tool calculates the main technical, economic and environmental indicators for each project, based on parameters defined by the user. We are currently working on adapting it to a web format so that it is accessible and easy to use by any interested entity.
In addition, we have developed an optimisation tool that allows us to determine the most appropriate system configuration based on criteria such as cost, environmental impact or a balance between the two. This is particularly useful for comparing alternatives and supporting decision-making in the early stages of design. These tools are being applied within the project to assess the viability of several business models that we consider strategic for the POCTEP region:
• Hydrogen as a service in port ecosystems, given the economic importance of the maritime sector in the area.
• Recovery of organic waste and biomass for the production of renewable gases, closely linked to agricultural and forestry activities.
• Mobility and transport using hydrogen in rural areas, where population dispersion requires flexible and sustainable energy solutions.
On the other hand, AIHRE is enabling us to strengthen our experimental capabilities. We have integrated a complete renewable hydrogen system into our microgrid, including an electrolyser, storage and fuel cell, which allows us to work on monitoring and managing these hydrogen systems in a controlled environment where we can emulate different renewable generation and consumption profiles, other storage capacities, etc. It also enables us to validate the hydrogen system component models developed in the project.
- Based on your experience, what critical hydrogen-related technologies do you consider to be priorities for advancing its actual implementation?
The industrial sector (refineries, metallurgy, ammonia and methanol production) is the main consumer of hydrogen, and renewable hydrogen could also have a role to play in decarbonisation in other areas such as industrial thermal processes and transport. The main obstacle to switching from fossil-based hydrogen (grey or other colours) to renewable hydrogen is the cost of the latter. We cannot rely solely on subsidies to maintain its competitiveness: it is essential to address investment (CapEx) and operating (OpEx) costs, especially with regard to electrolysers and the price of renewable electricity.
The deployment of renewable energy in recent years has caused electricity costs to fall to attractive levels. Therefore, the technological priority now lies in developing more affordable, robust and efficient electrolysers. There are very active lines of research to achieve this, such as reducing the use of critical materials or searching for technological alternatives that do not depend on them. There are promising developments in this area, but it will take time for them to reach sufficient levels of maturity. We are also seeing a significant drop in costs from Asian manufacturers, which introduces an additional risk: Europe is losing industrial capacity and technological independence.
Another key challenge is the reliability of electrolysers. There is a perception, based on my opinion and that of other actors we have collaborated with, that electrolysers are delicate pieces of equipment with high maintenance requirements. If the availability of this equipment is low, the real cost of the hydrogen produced increases and the business model can be disastrous.
At ITG, we do not currently develop technology for electrolysers, but we do work on a fundamental aspect of their viability: the optimal management of the renewable electricity that powers them, in order to get the most out of the electrolysers and help reduce the levelised cost of hydrogen production.
- What strengths does Galicia have to position itself as a leader in the hydrogen value chain?
Galicia has very favourable conditions for the development of renewable hydrogen. We have abundant renewable resources, especially wind power, which ensures a competitive electricity supply for electrolysers, and we also have sufficient water in terms of both quantity and quality, which reduces the complexity of the pre-treatment required for electrolysis. Added to this is a very important agricultural and forestry sector, whose waste has enormous potential for the production of renewable gases through technologies such as gasification or pyrolysis, thus expanding the ways of obtaining hydrogen beyond electrolysis.
From the demand side, Galicia already has intensive industrial sectors that can immediately absorb renewable hydrogen if a competitive cost is achieved, and there are projects underway for the production of ammonia and green methanol that increase potential demand.
In short, Galicia has good characteristics for the production of hydrogen and renewable gases and potential consumers. However, the lack of specific infrastructure for their transport means that production must take place close to where demand exists.
- In your opinion, what are the main challenges facing the implementation of hydrogen in the POCTEP region?
Beyond the technological and cost challenges in electrolysers already mentioned, perhaps the greatest obstacle in the short term and specific to Galicia is the legal uncertainty linked to the development of new renewable energy facilities. The suspension of wind power projects by the High Court of Justice of Galicia, despite the contrary ruling of the Court of Justice of the European Union, has created a situation of uncertainty that may affect hydrogen projects. The viability of these projects depends on the availability of abundant, low-cost renewable electricity, and without a stable and agile regulatory framework, many projects are put on hold or are not even considered.
Another significant challenge facing Galicia is the lack of hydrogen transport infrastructure at regional and national level. Galicia has been left out of the hydrogen corridors planned at national and European level, at least until 2030, limiting the type of projects that can move forward in this first stage.
- Finally, what message would you like to convey about the role of renewable hydrogen in Galicia's energy future and the importance of collaborative projects such as AIHRE?
Renewable hydrogen will play an important role in Galicia's energy transition, provided that we are clear that it is not a universal solution and that we know how to prioritise those sectors where it really adds value, for example as a raw material, and where it is competitive. Its impact will become evident as the first projects are implemented and prove their viability.
In this regard, collaborative initiatives such as AIHRE are essential. They enable us to clearly identify which sectors and territories can truly benefit from renewable hydrogen, connect the various players in the value chain in the POCTEP region, and provide them with tools to facilitate the development of robust projects.
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