News and Events
Project updates and event coverage from OCEAN-H2, including meetings, workshops, milestones, outreach activities, and media highlights.
OCEAN-H2 General Meeting in Naples — Meeting Successfully Concluded
The OCEAN-H2 consortium has successfully concluded its in-person General Meeting held at the Department of Social Sciences of the University of Naples Federico II.
The session brought together all Work Packages for a full day of technical alignment, data harmonisation, and strategic coordination.
The meeting concluded with a consolidated list of actions and next steps, including interface agreements across WPs and decisions on data alignment to support the project’s upcoming deliverables.
A special thanks to all partners for their active contribution and to the University of Naples Federico II for hosting the consortium.
Ocean-H2 at the UM Research Expo 2026: a European perspective on offshore green-hydrogen production
On 27 May 2026, at the Valletta Campus, the University of Malta Research Expo 2026 (UMRE26) brought together researchers, doctoral candidates and members of the academic community for a full day dedicated to interdisciplinary exchange and the promotion of the University’s research activities.
In this context, Ocean-H2 presented its latest progress on offshore green-hydrogen production, with a focus on the comparative assessment of European basins.
OCEAN-H2 has already assessed the North Sea (Nordsee One) and the Mediterranean (Malta Site 2). A Baltic Sea site completes a three-basin picture of European offshore wind for green-hydrogen production. The selection below is a candidature-stage screening: it uses general, comparable site metrics — the detailed resource and calm-spell study follows for the chosen site only.
The selection presented at UMRE26 represents a preliminary candidature-stage screening, based on general and comparable site metrics.
OCEAN-H2 endorsed as a UN Ocean Decade Action
The Offshore Clean Hydrogen Production for Multi-use Purposes project (OCEAN-H2), carried out within the Sustainable Blue Economy Partnership and coordinated by the University of Malta, has received official endorsement as a Decade Project under the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development 2021–2030.
This endorsement marks an important milestone for the consortium and recognizes the scientific, technological, and collaborative relevance of the project’s contribution to offshore clean hydrogen production, sustainable multi-use approaches, and innovation at the ocean-energy interface.
The consortium welcomes this achievement with great satisfaction and renewed commitment, reaffirming its dedication to contributing meaningfully to a more sustainable future for the ocean and for the communities that depend on it.
The official endorsement letter confirms OCEAN-H2 as a project forming part of the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development 2021–2030.
Italy’s National Hydrogen Strategy
In the context of the European energy transition, hydrogen represents one of the most relevant pillars for the decarbonization of hard-to-abate industrial sectors, heavy mobility, and large integrated energy systems.
Within the Ocean-H2 project, an in-depth analysis of national and European policies will be carried out, with the aim of clarifying objectives, technical constraints, operational solutions, and implementation timelines, in order to obtain useful insights for energy planning, research, port logistics, industrial production, and the development of H₂-ready infrastructures.
To support the dissemination and understanding of the Italian National Hydrogen Strategy, the main contents have been transformed into a set of concise infographics designed to facilitate consultation and support decision-making processes and project activities.
Relevance for Ocean-H2
- Hydrogen is a key vector for the decarbonization of maritime and port systems.
- Import, storage, and distribution infrastructures will be crucial for Italy’s positioning in the Mediterranean.
- Industrial and transport demand will require integrated, interoperable, and scalable solutions.
- The 2030–2040–2050 roadmap provides a clear framework for investment, research, and development.
Ocean Decade Challenge 4 and Ocean-H2: Building a Sustainable Ocean Economy
The transition toward a truly sustainable ocean economy requires knowledge, innovation, and coordinated action. Within the framework of the UNESCO Ocean Decade (2021–2030), Challenge 4 (Develop a Sustainable and Equitable Ocean Economy) provides a strategic foundation to guide policies, investments, and technologies toward a fair, resilient, and science-driven blue economy.
The Ocean-H2 project aligns closely with this global mission. Offshore hydrogen, marine energy systems, and blue infrastructure represent key enablers for decarbonising ports, maritime transport, and coastal industries while supporting ecosystem protection and community engagement.
We summarised the core elements of Challenge 4 (objectives, technical constraints, possible solutions, and timing) in a set of infographics supporting project activities and decision support.
Malta’s National Policy for Offshore Renewable Energy
Malta has outlined a clear national strategy for the deployment of offshore renewable energy, focusing on floating wind and offshore solar as the most feasible technologies for its deep-water conditions. The policy sets the foundations for a long-term clean-energy transition, supporting energy security, investment attraction, innovation, and the development of port and coastal infrastructure.
This infographic summarises the main elements of the policy (objectives, technical constraints, policy measures, development areas, and the phased roadmap to 2050), offering a concise overview of how Malta plans to unlock its offshore potential.
Germany’s National Hydrogen Strategy
Germany’s National Hydrogen Strategy outlines a comprehensive framework for building a climate-neutral, hydrogen-powered economy. Hydrogen is positioned as a central pillar of the country’s long-term decarbonisation pathway, enabling deep emission reductions in sectors where direct electrification is not feasible.
The infographic summarises key pillars of the strategy, including strategic goals, market development, infrastructure, research, and international cooperation, to support structured consultation within project activities.
Germany’s Updated National Hydrogen Strategy (NWS 2023)
Germany released an updated National Hydrogen Strategy (NWS 2023) to respond to major geopolitical and energy-market shifts since 2020. Hydrogen is confirmed as a central pillar of the country’s pathway to climate neutrality by 2045, with increased focus on supply security, diversification, and industrial competitiveness.
The update raises domestic electrolysis ambitions, outlines national network planning, and reinforces hydrogen’s role across industry, transport, and power, supported by enabling framework conditions and implementation measures.
Ocean-H2 at the SBEP Symposium 2026
At the Sustainable Blue Economy Partnership Symposium 2026, Alexander Micallef (University of Malta, OCEAN-H2 Coordinator) presented the vision behind Ocean-H2, a project exploring how green hydrogen can be produced offshore across Europe’s diverse sea basins.
Ocean-H2 integrates contrasting marine, climatic and infrastructural conditions across Europe, enabling assessment of offshore hydrogen concepts under different environments and regulatory settings.
This approach supports geographically inclusive evidence and contributes to robust, adaptable pathways for future offshore hydrogen deployment.
SBEP Week 2026: a look at the future of the Blue Economy
From 10 to 12 February, Bucharest hosted SBEP Week 2026, bringing together European projects working toward a sustainable Blue Economy through thematic sessions and stakeholder exchange.
OCEAN-H2 contributes to the energy transition through techno-economic and socio-technical analysis of offshore hydrogen production across EU sea basins, integrating engineering research, environmental assessments, stakeholder engagement, regulatory alignment and social research.
OCEAN-H2 Consortium Meeting (Malta)
Partners met in Malta to review progress across work packages and align next technical and communication steps, covering offshore hydrogen system architecture, offshore power conversion, wind resource modelling, and dissemination planning.
The meeting consolidated priorities for the next phase, including coordination of modelling assumptions, agreement on key interfaces between offshore generation and hydrogen production, and preparation for upcoming partner-led updates.
Project Launch: Offshore Clean Hydrogen for Multi-use Purposes
OCEAN-H2 is a Sustainable Blue Economy Partnership (SBEP) project assessing the long-term feasibility of large-scale green hydrogen production using offshore renewable energy. The work combines energy system modelling, offshore technology integration, and socio-economic perspectives to support responsible deployment pathways.
The project is coordinated by the University of Malta and delivered with partners across Europe, bringing together complementary expertise in power electronics, offshore integration, resource assessment, and social sciences.