Andalucía TRADE has organized a day of institutional and business visits as part of two international trade missions with delegations from Japan and Germany interested in firsthand knowledge of the Andalusian green hydrogen ecosystem and alternative fuels. During the day, held this Tuesday, international representatives toured strategic projects and facilities in the provinces of Huelva and Seville, as part of the Andalusian agency's internationalization strategy to position the autonomous community as an industrial and technological reference point in the development of renewable hydrogen and clean energy.
Both delegations, made up of a total of 25 companies and entities, were accompanied in the Huelva province by the territorial delegate of Economy, Finance, European Funds, and Industry, Energy and Mines in Huelva and provincial manager of Andalucía TRADE, Lucía Núñez Sánchez. The work agenda included visits to facilities and projects related to the production and use of renewable hydrogen, aimed at strengthening international cooperation, facilitating investment opportunities, and promoting industrial alliances around the energy transition.
Lucía Núñez pointed out during her speech that Huelva has established itself as one of the most dynamic industrial and energy territories in southern Europe, thanks to the strength of its industrial hub, its strategic port for international trade, and a highly specialized business ecosystem. The territorial delegate highlighted that projects such as the development of the Andalusian Hydrogen Valley, renewable fuels, and the commitment to industrial innovation position the province as a space with great potential for investment and international cooperation. Núñez also emphasized the commitment of the Junta de Andalucía to attract investments that generate employment, innovation, and sustainable development, and highlighted collaboration between administrations, companies, universities, and technological centers as one of Huelva's assets to position itself as a European reference for the new sustainable industry.
The day began with a visit to the facilities of the company Moeve in Palos de la Frontera (Huelva), where company representatives presented their strategy and projects in the field of hydrogen. Attendees toured the facilities to get to know some of the current hydrogen consumers and a project currently under construction. Representing Moeve were the director of PELR, Jorge Acitores; the strategy coordinator of C&CE, Jaime Reaño; and the head of Corporate Affairs, Narciso Rojas.
Subsequently, the delegations moved to the Port of Huelva, where a working session focused on the development of alternative fuels based on renewable hydrogen took place. The Business Development and Commercial Director of the Port Authority of Huelva, Jaime Beltrán, welcomed the participants, and a presentation of the port and the Association of Chemical, Basic and Energy Industries of Huelva (AIQBE) was provided. The visit concluded with a tour of the port facilities and an exhibition on possible future collaboration lines between international companies and the Huelva industrial ecosystem.
The agenda of the day continued in Seville with a visit to the company H2B2, located in Dos Hermanas, where the company presented its main projects and technological capabilities in the field of green hydrogen, followed by a Q&A session and a visit to the plant organized in two groups to learn about different projects in parallel.
The German delegation is composed of twelve representatives from the industrial and technological ecosystem of Baden-Württemberg, the southwestern region of Germany with which the Junta de Andalucía has maintained formal collaboration since October 4, 2023, when the Andalusian president, Juanma Moreno, and the minister president of the federal state, Winfried Kretschmann, signed a cooperation agreement. Among the members of the delegation are experts from companies and institutions in the energy and industrial sector, such as Professor Ulrich Bruhnke (Obrist DE GmbH), Álvaro García-Sampedro (Murrelektronik GmbH), Markus Gärtner and Hendrik Groß (Putzmeister Holding GmbH), and Dr. Stephan Hensel from CELEST – Center for Electrochemical Energy Storage at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology. The mission also includes Franz Loogen (E-mobil BW), Chris Meusburger (Obrist DE GmbH), Frank Obrist (Obrist Group), and Simone Tornow (Murrelektronik GmbH), among others who bring experience in technological innovation, electric mobility, hydrogen, and advanced energy solutions.
The Japanese delegation consists of 13 entities, including 11 private companies, the public agency NEDO, dedicated to promoting energy and technological innovation, and the Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC), a public financial institution that supports financing of international projects linked to the energy transition. Among the participating Japanese companies are AGC Inc., specialized in components for hydrogen installations; Asahi Kasei Corporation, a leader in membranes and electrolysis technology for the production of green hydrogen; and Chiyoda Corporation, engineering company with extensive experience in the design and execution of hydrogen plants.
The Japanese mission also includes Daido Metal, a global manufacturer of metallic solutions for hydrogen-related equipment; Kobelco, a steel conglomerate that develops technologies for steel production with hydrogen; and Mitsubishi Corporation, one of the world's largest trading companies involved in investment and structuring large energy projects. Additionally, NYK Line, a leading maritime transport company working on hydrogen-powered and alternative-fuel vessels; Yokogawa Electric Corporation, specializing in industrial control and automation systems; TMEIC, a provider of electric systems for electrolysis infrastructures; Proterial, dedicated to advanced materials and special steels; and Maruichi Stainless Tube, a manufacturer of stainless steel tubes for industrial and energy applications.
The presence of firms of this technological and industrial level, both from the Japanese and German side, reflects the interest that the Andalusian green hydrogen ecosystem generates in two of the world's leading industrial economies. Japan, which has placed hydrogen at the center of its national energy strategy, seeks to secure supply sources and establish alliances with producing regions, while Baden-Württemberg, home to a strong manufacturing and automotive industry, explores the integration of green hydrogen into its industrial value chains.
Andalucía, for its part, has favorable conditions for the production of renewable hydrogen derived from its high potential for solar and wind energy generation, combined with an industrial fabric intensive in hydrogen consumption —especially in the Huelva chemical hub— and port infrastructures that could facilitate the future export of green hydrogen and its derivatives. The Andalusian Hydrogen Valley, one of the flagship projects of the autonomous community in this area, aspires to articulate the entire value chain of renewable hydrogen in the region.
The organization of these trade missions by Andalucía TRADE is co-financed with funds from the European Union, under the Operational FEDER Program of Andalusia 2021-2027, featuring a community contribution of 85%.