- The H2PORTS hydrogen project held its final conference today, bringing together 30 speakers and more than 150 participants in the auditorium of the Port Authority of Valencia
- The Valencian facility is the first and only one in the world to operate daily with a container stacker and a terminal tractor that run exclusively on hydrogen
- For Mar Chao, president of the Port Authority of Valencia (PAV), ‘this project reaffirms our commitment to decarbonisation. It is a cornerstone of our broader strategy to become a zero-emission port‘
- According to Antonio Torregrosa, managing director of Fundación Valenciaport, ‘at Fundación Valenciaport, we continue to work hard to boost the competitiveness of the Port of Valencia through innovation. We are implementing and testing different technologies that have established the port as an international benchmark in sustainability, digitalisation and operational efficiency’
Valencia, 03.12.25. The Port of Valencia today hosted the final conference of the H2PORTS project, a pioneering initiative that has enabled the testing in real operations of a hydrogen-powered ReachStacker and a 4×4 tractor unit, as well as a mobile refuelling station for this clean fuel.
The event, which brought together 30 speakers and more than 150 participants and presented the main results of this initiative, took place first in the auditorium of the Port Authority of Valencia (PAV) and then at the Xità quay, where attendees were able to see the prototypes up close.
The opening of the conference featured speeches by Mar Chao, president of the PAV; Valerie Bouillon-Delporte, executive director of the Clean Hydrogen Partnership (the project’s funding entity); Antonio Torregrosa, managing director of Fundación Valenciaport; Torsten Klimke, Head of Ports and Inland Navigation Unit at DG MOVE; and Juan Manuel Díez, Chief Innovation Officer at the PAV.
Visit to the pilots developed at H2PORTS
During the visit to the pilots developed as part of the project, the public was able to take a close look at the hydrogen fuel cell ReachStacker prototype designed and produced by Hyster-Yale and tested in real operation at MSC Terminal Valencia.
This ReachStacker has been designed to match the performance of its diesel equivalent, both in terms of lifting capacity and operating speed. Its design combines a fuel cell with an electric traction system and independent hydraulic motors, enabling efficient energy management even in the most demanding tasks.
Equipped with four high-pressure hydrogen tanks that comply with international standards, the vehicle can operate for a full shift – and even up to two – on a single refill. It has also received very positive feedback from dockworkers, who highlight its performance, comfort and a quieter, vibration-free and emission-free driving experience.
Attendees were also able to learn in detail about the world’s first hydrogen-powered port terminal tractor unit, converted from a diesel unit. The vehicle conversion was carried out by ATENA with the support of ENEA, the Parthenope University of Naples, and Grimaldi Euromed, to be subsequently tested at Valencia Terminal Europa, part of the Grimaldi Group.
This is a prototype port vehicle with a hybrid propulsion system that combines a 70 kW fuel cell supplied by Ballard, a 25 kWh battery, and four high-pressure hydrogen tanks, allowing it to operate for a full shift without local emissions.
One of the main challenges of this pilot was to develop an intelligent energy management strategy that would optimize the combined use of the hydrogen fuel cell and battery, while maintaining efficient and long-lasting performance.
These pilot tests have demonstrated that hydrogen technology can be seamlessly integrated into high-demand port operations, replacing fossil fuels without compromising efficiency, safety, or operator comfort.
Finally, participants had the opportunity to see how the hydrogen refueling station works up close. The location of the two pilot vehicles in different port terminals necessitated a flexible solution: a mobile hydrogen refueling station. This innovative mobile unit was custom-designed by the National Hydrogen Center (CNH2) and operated by Carburos Metálicos (part of the Air Products group), the partner responsible for supplying renewable hydrogen for the project.
The refueling station consists of two subsystems: a fixed unit, which integrates the compressor and storage system, and a mobile unit, equipped with high-pressure cascade tanks and a dispenser.
This solution is capable of refueling both hydrogen-powered vehicles in a single day, ensuring flexibility, operational autonomy, and high safety standards. The station supplies hydrogen at pressures of 300 and 450 bar, with a capacity of up to 55 kg per day and a maximum dispensing speed of up to 3.6 kg per minute, enabling fast and efficient refueling, one of the main competitive advantages of hydrogen in port environments.
This mobile hydrogen station concept has proven to be technically and operationally viable, offering a scalable model for the implementation of hydrogen in other complex and highly regulated contexts, such as ports.
Session on hydrogen in ports
This afternoon, the event will continue with a special session on hydrogen in ports organized by the Clean Hydrogen Partnership, which will present the latest EU strategies and advances in the deployment of hydrogen in port environments. Various ports, such as Hirtshals, Antwerp-Bruges, and Venice, will showcase their hydrogen projects and future scaling plans to highlight the importance of cooperation and innovation in promoting decarbonized ports.
Commitment to decarbonization
For Mar Chao, president of the Port Authority of Valencia, “this project reaffirms our commitment to decarbonization. It is a cornerstone of our broader strategy to become a zero-emission port. We are fully aligned with the principles of the European Green Deal, the Fit for 55 legislative package, and the objectives of the Clean Hydrogen Partnership. We envision a port that is not only a key logistics hub, but also a driver of innovation, a living laboratory where industry, science, and public policy converge to accelerate the energy transition and lead the shift towards a low-carbon economy.”
For her part, Valerie Bouillon-Delporte, executive director of the Clean Hydrogen Partnership, highlighted “H2PORTS is a concrete illustration of how EU funding and cooperation can accelerate the decarbonisation of critical infrastructure. H2PORTS demonstrates that ports can become catalysts for clean mobility, industrial transition and new energy value chains. The Clean Hydrogen Partnership is proud to have supported this pioneering work, which sets a benchmark for ports across Europe as they move from pilots to large-scale hydrogen adoption. This project also reflects the long-standing and continuous commitment of our Joint Undertaking to advancing hydrogen solutions for port operations ranging from container-handling equipment and fuel-cell–based on-shore power supply, to the safety of liquid-hydrogen bunkering and the development of integrated hydrogen ecosystems in ports and coastal industrial areas”.
Finally, Antonio Torregrosa, managing director of Fundación Valenciaport, highlighted: “At Fundación Valenciaport, we continue to work closely with our cluster to boost the competitiveness of the Port of Valencia through innovation. We are implementing and testing different technologies that have consolidated the port as an international benchmark in sustainability, digitalization, and operational efficiency”, adding that ”the availability of European funding mechanisms makes innovation in ports a reality.”
H2PORTS
The European project “H2PORTS – Implementing Fuel Cells and Hydrogen Technologies in Ports” project, coordinated by Fundación Valenciaport in close collaboration with the Port Authority of Valencia and funded by the Clean Hydrogen Partnership program, has as its main objective to test and validate hydrogen technologies in port machinery that enable applicable and real solutions without affecting the performance and safety of port operations and producing zero local emissions.
The H2PORTS project entails a total investment of 4 million euros and involves, in addition to Fundación Valenciaport and the Port Authority of Valencia, the National Hydrogen Centre, and the private companies MSC Terminal Valencia, Valencia Terminal Europa (Grimaldi Group), Hyster-Yale, ATENA Distretto Alta Tecnologia Energia Ambiente, Ballard Power Systems Europe, Carburos Metálicos (Air Products group) and Enagás. Thanks to this initiative, the Port of Valencia is ready to incorporate hydrogen technologies into its operations.