On 14–15 October 2025 the partners of the TRIĒRĒS Hydrogen Valley project met in Groningen (Netherlands) for their second General Assembly. The meeting combined technical visits to regional hydrogen infrastructure with strategic discussions on project progress and future implementation steps. The event was hosted by the New Energy Coalition and Hydrogen Architects and included exchanges with stakeholders from the Dutch hydrogen ecosystem connected to the HEAVENN hydrogen valley initiative.
In preparation for the meeting, the Green Energy Center research team conducted a hydrogen mobility field journey from Innsbruck to Groningen using a hydrogen vehicle from the HyWest fleet. The journey covered approximately 2000 kilometres across Austria, Germany and the Netherlands and documented practical hydrogen mobility conditions within the existing European refuelling network.
(Distance approx. 1000 km one way / 2000 km return=
Situation
The TRIĒRĒS project aims to establish integrated hydrogen value chains linking production, transport infrastructure and industrial demand across regional and European contexts. Such project environments act as coordination platforms where infrastructure development, investment planning and regulatory frameworks evolve simultaneously.
Within this framework, General Assembly meetings provide an opportunity to align project progress with developments in regional hydrogen ecosystems and infrastructure planning initiatives.
The field journey of the Green Energy Center research team adds an additional empirical layer to this context by documenting how hydrogen mobility infrastructure can already be used in practice across multiple countries.
Observation in the Living Lab
From the perspective of the Green Energy Center Living Lab, the meeting demonstrates how regional hydrogen ecosystems organise practical infrastructure development through collaboration between infrastructure operators, industry partners and regional innovation networks.
Discussions addressed the development of hydrogen infrastructure corridors, investment frameworks and the connection between regional hydrogen valleys and broader European infrastructure initiatives such as the European Hydrogen Backbone.
The journey to Groningen adds a direct operational perspective to these discussions. Based on the GPS-documented route and the selected image material, the trip shows that long-distance hydrogen mobility is technically feasible within the existing network while also illustrating the importance of infrastructure density and system integration for reliable operation.
Systemic Context
Hydrogen valleys represent experimental infrastructure environments within the broader process of Energy System Reconstruction in Europe. They connect production capacities, transport infrastructure and industrial demand into coordinated value chains that extend beyond individual projects.
The interaction between regional hydrogen ecosystems and emerging European infrastructure corridors illustrates how infrastructure transformation takes place through interconnected regional initiatives rather than through isolated technological deployment.
Relevance for Energy System Reconstruction
For the Green Energy Center Living Lab such project environments provide practical reference points for observing how infrastructure planning, industrial demand and policy frameworks converge in the reconstruction of the European energy system.
At the same time, the journey from Innsbruck to Groningen shows that mobility applications can serve as a practical interface between infrastructure planning and real operational experience.
Conclusion
The meeting in Groningen highlights how hydrogen valley initiatives function as operational environments for infrastructure development and system integration within the ongoing reconstruction of the European energy system.
The Living Lab field journey of the Green Energy Center research team complements these discussions by documenting hydrogen mobility not only as a planning topic but as a practical infrastructure experience across regions and national borders.
References
TRIĒRĒS Project – 2nd General Assembly Meeting of the TRIĒRĒS Project in Groningen – 2025
https://trieres-h2.eu/blog/2nd-general-assembly-meeting-of-the-trieres-project-in-groningen/
Green Energy Center – Living Lab Projects – 2024
https://green-energy-center.com/projects/ergy Center – Living Lab Projects – 2024
https://green-energy-center.com/projects/