Javier Dufour, member of the European panel on the sustainability and circularity of hydrogen

Raul Garcia Hemonnet

Javier Dufour has extensive experience researching energy systems and the possibilities of hydrogen. Now, he has been selected as a member of the European panel on the sustainability and circularity of hydrogen.

This panel, created at the initiative of the EU's 'Clean Hydrogen Partnership', is made up of a group of 15 scientists from all over Europe specialized in energy. Its objective is to ensure that sustainability (environmental, social and economic) and circularity are incorporated into all projects and technological developments related to hydrogen.

Specifically, the URJC professor will lead 'Task Force 1' of the panel, in charge of issues related to hydrogen production. “We are going to take care of applying the criteria of sustainability and circularity.” The production of hydrogen from renewable sources in Europe is quite recent, but the European Union's goal is for the continent to produce 2030 million tons of 'green' hydrogen by 10.

The 'Task Force 1' led by Javier Dufour is responsible for advising so that hydrogen production is sustainable in the broad sense of the word: in the environmental, social and economic spheres. “We want to ensure that now that there is a tremendous deployment of the hydrogen sector, it is sustainable from the beginning and is not born with feet of clay,” says Javier Dufour.

For this URJC researcher, “it is an honor to be selected in a group like this. We are 15 members chosen from a total of 100 candidates. It is a recognition of so many years of work in this field.”

Key tool in decarbonization

The role of hydrogen in the ecological transition process is key, as the URJC professor explains, “It is one of the key tools in decarbonization, in alliance with electricity. They are complementary. “They are the two main lines to achieve the end of carbon.”

Green hydrogen “will have a lot to say between now and 2050,” says Dufour. At the moment, the applications of this renewable energy source are focused on transportation, especially for vehicles that travel high mileage, and in the industry that requires very high temperature processes.