Department of Energy and Mechanical Engineering

Sustainable Hydrogen Valleys - H2EnergySCAPES

H2EnergySCAPES develops novel methods of analysis and design to support the sustainable development of hydrogen valleys. The project explores how much renewable energy and hydrogen production can be sustainably implemented in a given area by considering ecological, social, visual, cultural, and evolving landscape values, including both challenges and emerging benefits. The project is funded by the Research Council of Finland and is done in collaboration between Aalto University and LUT University.

Photo from the top of the nacel of a wind turbine. — Photo by Kalle Kataila / Aalto University

H2EnergySCAPES aims to develop novel methods of analysis and design to support the sustainable development of hydrogen valleys. A hydrogen valley is defined as an area encompassing the full hydrogen value chain, from wind energy and hydrogen production via electrolysis to e-fuels, biogenic CO₂ use, district heating, energy transmission, and storage.

The project provides insights into how much renewable energy and hydrogen production can be sustainably implemented in a given area, considering the ecological, social, visual, and cultural dimensions of such development. It also examines how landscape values evolve, highlighting not only potential negative impacts but also emerging positive ones.

The work builds on a recently published open-access textbook edited and co-authored by Mika Järvinen and Hanna Paulomäki together with a multidisciplinary team of experts (https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-031-69856-9), and extends its concepts into applied, location-based analysis.

The work is carried out by researchers in engineering, natural and social sciences, and landscape architecture: