ONTZHI-II begins: a new phase to boost scientific and technological development in hydrogen in the Basque Country
Following the success of the first phase of the ONTZHI project, ONTZHI-II is now underway a new stage that will delve deeper into the research of materials, advanced coatings, and modelling methodologies to ensure safer, more efficient and more sustainable hydrogen storage and transport.
This phase, running from 2025 to 2027, once again brings together a multidisciplinary consortium made up of TECNALIA Research & Innovation (coordinator), the Basque Mobility and Logistics Cluster, CIDETEC Surface Engineering, GAIKER, TEKNIKER and Multiverse Computing.
The main work areas of ONTZHI-II include:
- Development of barrier coatings to reduce hydrogen embrittlement and permeation in metallic components.
- Design of sustainable and recyclable composite materials for type-IV tanks aimed at mobility applications.
- Advanced study of hydrogen behaviour in metallic materials, welds and critical joints.
- Predictive modelling using advanced algorithms and AI to understand degradation mechanisms.
- Development of laboratory-scale experimental demonstrators that will lay the foundations for future industrial developments.
ONTZHI-II reinforces the Basque Country’s role as a strategic territory in technology development linked to hydrogen, aligning with the Basque Hydrogen Strategy and the priorities of the Elkartek programme.
With this second phase, the project aims to consolidate the Basque Country as one of the leading hubs in applied hydrogen research, integrating scientific, industrial and cluster capabilities to drive a safer, more competitive and more sustainable ecosystem.
