Alina Oprea • 11 April, 2023 at 9:11 AM
The Minister of Investments and European Projects, Marcel Boloș, together with the Minister of Research, Innovation, and Digitization, Sebastian Burduja, marked the completion of the implementation of the expansion of the National Center of Hydrogen and Fuel Cells - HyRo 2.0. The project, "From Nano to Macro in Hydrogen Energy - Expansion of the National Center of Hydrogen and Fuel Cells - HyRo 2.0", has a budget of RON 30.80 million (€6.16 million). This was financed under the Competitiveness Operational Program and implemented by the National Research and Development Institute for Cryogenic and Isotopic Technologies - ICSI Râmnicu Vâlcea.
"In 2020, we initiated the steps to develop applied projects in the field of hydrogen and we managed to sign this contract, which now has reached the point where it will produce effects. Today, we gathered to mark the completion of this important project here in Râmnicu Vâlcea, which will focus on validating and demonstrating the performance of hydrogen energy technologies, reducing costs, and identifying the most appropriate applications for these technologies. And on this way, I want to congratulate the general director of the National Research and Development Institute for Cryogenic and Isotopic Technologies - ICSI Râmnicu Vâlcea, Mihai Varlam. We will continue to finance research in the field in the financial year 2021-2027. During the last working visit I had in Brussels, I negotiated with Mrs. Elisa Ferreira, the European Commissioner for Cohesion and Reforms, the financing of the "Romanian Hub for Hydrogen and new technologies in the Field of Energy" project, with an estimated allocation of €130 million, from the Smart Growth, Digitization and Financial Instruments Program 2021-2027. Additionally, at the level of the entire Program, an amount of over €1 billion is allocated to support and promote a competitive research, development, and innovation system in Romania. These are the conditions where it is necessary to consolidate the achievements in the field of advanced technologies, through measures and investments in the field of research-innovation with high application potential, which will lead to the development of products with high added value and which can be assimilated by the Romanian industry", says Minister Marcel Boloș.
At the same time, Minister Boloș emphasized that the ministry he leads, as the financing authority, encourages collaboration between the most important national actors in the field of hydrogen-based technologies, in order to develop projects that will contribute decisively to the diversification of the energy market in Romania.
The project implemented by the National Research and Development Institute for Cryogenic and Isotopic Technologies - ICSI Râmnicu Vâlcea aimed at expanding the research and development capabilities of ICSI Energy, as an autonomous part of the RENEWS national infrastructure, so that the results of research, development and innovation activities (CDI) to contribute to the implementation of hydrogen-based energy storage technologies.
The RoHydroHub project was negotiated with the European Commission and accepted as a predefined project under the Smart Growth, Digitization, and Financial Instruments Program (POCIDIF). The implementation of the project is to be ensured by a partnership formed by ICSI Râmnicu-Vâlcea and the Politehnica University of Bucharest. The call for projects will not be competitive, given that the project is predefined in the program.
According to the estimate, the call for projects will be opened in June 2023, and the financing contract is to be signed by the end of this year. Like the other predefined projects in the program, RoHydroHub will benefit from the support of the POCIDIF Management Authority throughout the implementation period.
Through the Intelligent Growth, Digitization, and Financial Instruments Program, within Action 1.2 – Support for projects in the field of advanced technologies by creating innovation hubs in areas of strategic interest, projects considered of strategic interest for Romania will be financed.
The Smart Growth, Digitization and Financial Instruments Program has a total allocation of €2.2 billion.