H2CE
Helping public authorities integrate hydrogen into regional energy planning
The H2CE project helps regions in central Europe to boost the integration of hydrogen in their local and regional energy planning. The project develops and tests new planning tools for public authorities and creates a network of hydrogen-ready regions for good practice exchanges.
PROGRAMME / FUNDING: Interreg CENTRAL EUROPE · Project No. CE0100055
TOTAL PROJECT BUDGET: €2.58M
DURATION: April 2023 – March 2026 · TWNTY involvement 2023–2024
THEMES: Energy transition; Hydrogen; Regional planning; Public authorities; Capacity building
TWNTY ROLE: Communication and dissemination manager and expert (WP1–WP3) · capacity-building architecture and H2CE Knowledge Platform lead
Project
Green hydrogen still covers less than two percent of Europe's energy consumption — and most guidance targets industry rather than the public authorities who decide where infrastructure goes. H2CE equipped regional administrations across Central Europe to build hydrogen proactively into their energy and spatial planning, through new planning tools, a digital collaboration platform and a growing network of hydrogen-ready regions. Twelve partners from nine regions in seven countries worked together, led by the joint spatial planning department of Berlin-Brandenburg. By its close, the project had delivered mechanisms empowering regional decision-makers to support a hydrogen-based energy transition, a cross-regional and transnational network of H2-ready regions, and a working digital collaboration platform.
The challenge
Hydrogen is an emerging topic surrounded by industry-focused technical guidance. The challenge was to reach regional planners and public authorities in their own terms — mapping who needed to be involved, building a community around a shared platform, and communicating an unfamiliar energy carrier as a practical planning question.
How TWNTY approached it
Strategy and outreach. During TWNTY's involvement (2023–2024), we set up the project's communication strategy, planning and management, together with the outreach strategy and implementation plan for reaching key players.
Stakeholders and platform. We mapped stakeholders at the regional level to bring them into the platform community and contributed to the design and development of the hydrogen collaboration platform.
Capacity building and knowledge platform. Beyond communication management, TWNTY contributed to the H2CE's capacity-building architecture and led the conceptualisation and development of the H2CE Knowledge Platform.
The replication network. TWNTY is a founding partner of the H2CE Hydrogen-Ready Regions Network, the replication network for hydrogen-valley setup in Central Europe.
Channels and materials. We created and managed the project's communication tools and channels — website, social media, infographics, webinars — and designed the physical and online promotional materials for study visits and their follow-up.
What TWNTY delivered
Communication strategy and planning
Regional stakeholder maps feeding the platform community
Website, social media, infographics and webinar formats
Promotional materials for study visits
The H2CE Knowledge Platform — conceptualisation and design
Capacity-building programmes for partners: workshops, masterclasses, digital training sessions and learning cohorts
Founding partnership of the H2CE Hydrogen-Ready Regions Network
Primary audiences
Regional and national public authorities · EU institutions and projects · Industry and research · Communities of the participating regions
Related expertise
Strategy & Transformation · Strategic Communication & Engagement · Knowledge Platforms & Digital Tools
Related work
Project sources
Project page at Interreg CENTRAL EUROPE: https://www.interreg-central.eu/projects/h2ce/
Bringing an emerging energy topic to public-sector audiences?
See how TWNTY pairs stakeholder mapping with practical communication tools.