Tomás Gómez-Acebo, director of the Energy Transition Chair of the Repsol Foundation at the University: "We are designing a decarbonized world with green hydrogen as the main actor".

Experts from different sectors have addressed at the University of Navarra the possibilities of implementation of hydrogen as a new energy vector. With the title, "Advancing towards the energy transition: transport and distribution", the workshop has been organized by Repsol Foundation y Tecnun-School of Engineering and is part of the activities of the Energy TransitionChair of the Repsol Foundation in the academic center. "The presence of this molecule is still very small, but a decarbonized world is being designed with green hydrogen as a major player," said the director of the Chair, Tomás Gómez-Acebo. Gómez-Acebo also referred to green hydrogen as a Swiss army knife that can be used for almost anything. "Wherever energy is needed, it is possible to think of applications for this vector, and there is enormous expectation with its plans for development, from the point of view of production, transport and use," he said.

The event was attended by the rector of the University, María Iraburu; the president of Repsol, Antonio Brufau; the Minister of Industry, Ecological Transition and Digital Business of the Government of Navarra, Mikel Irujo; and the mayoress of Pamplona, Cristina Ibarrola. In the workshop, have collaborated the association of the Navarra Industry (AIN) and the Chamber of Commerce of Navarra. 

The Chairman of Repsol, Antonio Brufau, highlighted the role of companies as allies of public administrations in the decarbonization of Economics. To this end, as he stated, "it is essential that Europe stops losing competitiveness against other regions and begins to function as an integrated market. Without a similar rules and regulations in subject industrial, energy and taxation in all member states, companies will not be able to compete on equal terms", he said. 

For her part, the rector of the University of Navarra, María Iraburu, thanked Repsol and its Foundation for their support of research, because "collaboration agreements between the business world and the university allow us to carry out research in areas whose transfer has a positive impact on society. An example is this Chair, since green hydrogen, due to its relevant role in decarbonization, can contribute to respond to the energy challenges we face".

Also, the director of Tecnun, the School of Engineering of the University of Navarra, Raúl Antón, has delivered the award to the best Master's Thesis Project to the student of Mechanical Engineering, Marta Rodríguez, for the development of a project that analyzes and compares two systems of propulsion of heavy vehicles with hydrogen. 

The workshop has hosted a dialogue on the challenges of the hydrogen roadmap, in which participated the director general in the technology company ARIEMA, Rafael Luque, and the administrative assistant general in the association of sustainable transport Gasnam, Eugenia Sillero.

The solutions in the distribution and transport of H2 in the hydrogen society have also been addressed, with the participation of the Hydrogen director of Enagás, Jesús Gil; the director of development Hydrogen Projects in Redexis, Alberto Andrés; the General Manager of development of Hydrogen Business in Repsol, Maribel Rodríguez; and the responsible of area Strategic and development of Business in Foundation for the development of Hydrogen Technologies in Aragón (FHA), Guillermo Figueruelo.

The closing of the meeting was made at position by António Calçada, general manager of Fundación Repsol, director , who stressed the importance of the role played by universities in tackling the great scientific and technological challenges facing society.