The Official Credit Institute (ICO) has launched a new push towards the decarbonization of transport in Europe by approving financing of up to 7 million euros for the company Hidrógeno Verde Renovable S.L. (HVR). This support is part of the European program Connecting Europe Facility – Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Facility (CEF-AFIF), which aims to accelerate the creation of infrastructure for alternative fuels.
Funding comes with an additional grant of 4.2 million euros, underscoring the ICO's firm commitment to the energy transition. Under the name 'ACTIVA,' the project aims to establish 20 green hydrogen refueling stations in the Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T). These stations will be located in existing service areas and will be offered for lease, which will make it easier for specialized companies to access hydrogen without the need for an initial investment.
HVR, largely controlled by Langur Holding Corporation S.L., is at the forefront of sustainable mobility. Since March 2023, with the opening of its first plant in Coslada, Madrid, the company has demonstrated its technical capacity and its dedication to sustainability objectives.
The ACTIVA project's hydrogen refueling stations will feature a modular and scalable design, capable of dispensing up to one ton of hydrogen per day at pressures of 350 and 700 bar in a compact 20-square-meter space with an installed capacity of 15 kW. This innovative approach has sparked the interest of giants in the automotive sector such as BMW, Toyota, Exolum, and Repsol, who see in the project an opportunity to remove entry barriers to the use of hydrogen in transportation and to advance toward decarbonization in accordance with the AFIR Regulation.
The CEF AFIF program, administered by the European Commission, combines grants with repayable financing to promote sustainable mobility within the TEN-T network. Since 2020, the ICO has played a crucial role as a strategic partner, directing European funds toward energy transition initiatives, with more than 202 million euros directed to 14 projects so far.
With this recent operation, the ICO not only reinforces its commitment to sustainable infrastructure, but also consolidates its position as an indispensable actor in the energy transition of transport in Europe.
