Meet the Trainer Series: Nerea Hipolito Martinez, Trainer on our Hydrogen Course

Introduction to Nerea Martinez Hipolito

Nerea Martinez Hipolito is the Hydrogen Intelligence Research Service Manager and and a technical expert at LCP Delta. In her four-year tenure, she has been pivotal in delivering key insights in both the distributed power and hydrogen sectors, fostering robust relationships along the way. Driven by a desire to positively influence the energy transition and deliver exceptional customer support, Nerea’s industry knowledge is underpinned by a strong academic background in Mechanical Engineering with Renewable Energy.

Q. Nerea, what are the key skills and knowledge required for job opportunities and career paths in the field of hydrogen energy, and how can individuals develop and enhance those skills?

A. When talking about hydrogen in the energy industry, we often refer to a broad range of activities spanning from producing clean hydrogen molecules, storing and transporting these and all the way to its end use.

Through this chain, there are a broad range of jobs which will require a combination of skills, some crucial examples include: engineering capabilities to plan and design the sites appropriately, construction jobs to develop projects against the clock, project managers to coordinate activities across the multiple stakeholders, policy advocates to support the correct design of new policies and regulation in the emerging hydrogen industry, research and development to continue improving the technology, investment and financing to get the projects off the ground… The list is limitless.

Although all these activities seem common across other sectors, hydrogen is highly coupled with other sectors. Hydrogen is linked with the electricity network from its origination all the way to a potential peaking power solution, or the gas network, which can provide a fuel source for low carbon hydrogen but can also provide a transport solution by blending hydrogen in its pipelines. If you look at its applications, these range from supplying industries which already consume grey hydrogen, tapping into new industries, providing a low carbon fuel for mobility, a heating alternative, or providing peaking power plants in a decarbonised power system. A good understanding of the complete energy system is required to effectively develop any of these work streams.

Q. What are the existing skills and knowledge gaps in the applications of hydrogen in sectors like transportation, industry, and power generation, and how can professionals address those gaps?

A. Although hydrogen will be a new fuel for some stakeholders across the hydrogen value chain, others have developed technical capabilities to handle this gas over decades. There is still a perceived gap of skills in the industry simply due to the vertiginous pace at which the hydrogen industry has developed over the last years. The rapid pace of change, within a global stage, makes staying up to date across the activities in the value chain a huge task. With daily project announcements, a changing policy landscape, emerging support schemes and a limited manufacturing capacity – it is crucial to understand how your specific sector fits in the puzzle to build up a solid business plan.

Collaboration with industry stakeholders, policymakers, and research institutions can help bridge these gaps, but this needs to be done on a continuous basis. This is how we support our clients to stay at the front of the market within the Hydrogen Intelligence Service.

Q. How can individuals stay updated with the latest developments, research, and advancements in hydrogen to maximise their career prospects and potential?

A. Individuals can engage in professional networks, attend conferences and workshops, read scientific journals and publications, participate in online resources and webinars, or collaborate on research projects, among others. Keeping track of policy changes, breakthrough technologies, and emerging applications is crucial to maximise career prospects and potential in the field of hydrogen energy. Continuous learning and adaptation are key to staying at the forefront of this rapidly evolving industry.