Transport Malta is partnering with Interreg Europe to work on the SMART HY AWARE project. This project aims to promote Hydrogen-Electric mobility throughout Europe, with the end goal of providing less polluting options for private and public transportation. The project spans from the 1st of August 2019 to the 31st of July 2023.

SMART HY AWARE promotes hydrogen-electric mobility by tackling main infrastructural, technological and market uptake barriers related to the technology through the improvement of private investment linked to Structural Funds in Europe.

Specific sub-objectives of the project, to reach the goal, are:

• Enhancing the potential of hydrogen technologies for electro-mobility involving the whole supply chain;
• Improving regional and local strategies which focus on real need for implementation such as giving impulses for new models of fuel cells integration;
• Increasing efficiency of green propulsion in transport;
• Improving renewable energy grids to cut down electrolysis costs and IT management applications to enable advanced planning of short to mid term power productions and foster use of hydrogen power within distributed networks (Gopalakrishnan Kumar, Serhan Dermici, Chiu-Yue Lin, 2013);
• Increasing the deployment and the accessibility to refuelling infrastructure for both public and private sector in urban and rural areas;
• Supporting the deployment of alternative fuel vehicles in public transport by setting up regional financial support schemes;
• Promoting and assessing new measures favouring public-private-partnership (PPP) in e-mobility sector, by designing suitable PPP business schemes to trigger hydrogen mobility;
• Enhancing the capability of public Authorities in developing effective policies for reducing the carbon footprint of transport activities.

Interreg Europe helps regional and local governments across Europe to develop and deliver better policy. They create an environment and opportunities for sharing solutions and policy learning. Their aim is to make sure that government investment, innovation and implementation efforts all lead to integrated and sustainable impact for people and place.

The following organisations across Europe are taking part in this project:

• Spain – Government of Aragón – Development Agency of Aragón
• Italy – Lazio Region
• Netherlands – Province of South Holland
• Greece – Municipality of Delphi
• Malta – Transport Malta
• United Kingdom – Aberdeen City Council
• Hungary – Pannon Business Network Association