The proposed ‘hydrogen valley’ at the Port of Galway has enormous potential and will be a “game changer for the West”, the Seanad has been told.

The hydrogen hub, known as ‘GH2’, will be used for research and the production and supply of clean, green, hydrogen fuel for public and private vehicles.

Minister of State at the Department of An Taosieach, Thomas Byrne, told the Upper House last week that the GH2 project is a “welcome and exciting indication of future possible opportunities for renewable hydrogen mobility, deployment and use.

GH2 is a consortium consisting of seven members – NUI Galway, the Port of Galway, CIÉ Group and Bus Éireann, Aran Islands Ferries, Lasta Mara Teo, Aer Arann Islands and SSE Renewables.

Raising the matter, Senator Victor Boyhan said it had enormous potential for the West of Ireland.

“The Port of Galway has a plan or project called the Galway hydrogen hub, GH2 for short. It has enormous potential and is a game-changer for the West. The hydrogen valley recognises the ecosystems that link hydrogen, research, production, distribution and transport for end users as well as the challenges facing all those associated with this project.

“The potential is enormous for the hydrogen valley in Galway. It will deal with and enable renewable strategies. Sustainability and decarbonisation are key objectives for the Government and are now at the very heart of public transport policy, and that is important. “It is very well supported by the private sector, industry, Galway City Council and all the stakeholders, and they were present in large numbers at that conference and engagement with the Taoiseach. The challenges in this regard are renewable energies. It is clear there is a future for sustainable growth. This is clearly an exciting project,” he said, asking what plans the Department of Transport had for “this very important project”.

Minister Byrne said that while the Government’s political commitment is clear “the policy framework to implement and support the delivery of green hydrogen in Ireland is in its early stages of development”.

He added that a hydrogen strategy is being developed as a key priority by the Dept of Environment, Climate and Communications.

There is ongoing encouragement and discussion as we frame our hydrogen strategy. It is very exciting to see people in the regions take the initiative, not only on behalf of their regions but also of behalf of national and global climate strategies.

“[The Transport Minister] recognises that the GH2 hydrogen valley and other proposals are a welcome and exciting indication of future possible opportunities for renewable hydrogen mobility, deployment and use,” said Minister Byrne.

Planning permission will still need to be sought for the hydrogen hub, but last June, Galway City councillors included an objective in the Galway City Development Plan 2023-29 which stated: “The Port of Galway is ideally placed to support the offshore renewable energy sector. This would complement their current role in supporting special project related imports including infrastructure for windfarms in the region.

“The Council will also facilitate the development of emerging energy technologies such as green hydrogen and the development of a green hydrogen hub at Galway Port, subject to compliance with relevant planning considerations.”