1. Who we are

This privacy notice applies to H2C Hydrogen Consulting ("H2C", "we", "us", "our"), a licensed freelance entity registered in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, under freelance license CN-5566593. Our principal place of operation is Abu Dhabi, UAE.

The data controller is the founder and principal, Sonia Sanchez. You can contact us at any time at sonia@h2c.info.

2. What data we collect

We only collect personal data that you actively give us. We do not run trackers, ad pixels, or third-party analytics.

From the H2C Atlas access form

• First name, last name
• Work email address
• Company / affiliation
• Country of residence
• Professional role and industry
• Date and time of registration

From the H2C Consultants Network form

• Full name, email, phone (optional), LinkedIn profile URL
• Country of residence and regions of operation
• Years of experience, qualifications, employment structure
• Technical and commercial expertise tags you select
• Languages, availability, and (optionally) day-rate range
• Reference projects you describe in free-text fields
• Date and time of registration and consent decisions

Technical data

• Strictly-necessary preferences saved in your browser (e.g. "you accepted cookies"). These live only on your device.
• We do not log IP addresses, user agents, or page-by-page activity.

3. How we use your data

We use the data you provide only for the purposes you signed up for:

• To operate the H2C Atlas — granting you access to the intelligence platform.
• To run the Consultants Network — reviewing your application and, with your consent, matching you to live project briefs.
• To send you briefings — only if you opted in to our monthly hydrogen market briefing.
• To respond to direct enquiries — when you email us or submit a form.

We do not use your data for automated decision-making, profiling for advertising, or any purpose you did not consent to.

4. Legal basis for processing (GDPR Art. 6)

• Consent — when you tick the consent box on a form (Art. 6(1)(a))
• Legitimate interest — when responding to a direct business enquiry you sent us (Art. 6(1)(f))
• Contract — when you are an active H2C client (Art. 6(1)(b))

For UAE residents, processing is conducted in accordance with Federal Decree-Law No. 45 of 2021 on the Protection of Personal Data (UAE PDPL).

5. Who we share data with

We do not sell or rent your personal data to anyone.

We share data only:

• With third-party service providers strictly necessary to operate this site (hosting via Vercel Inc., USA; domain registration via GoDaddy LLC, USA). These providers act as processors and are bound by their own data protection obligations.
• With verified project developers and investors — only if you explicitly opt in via the consultants network form, and only for specific match-making purposes you approve case-by-case.
• If required by law, court order, or regulatory authority in the UAE or any jurisdiction in which you are located.

6. International data transfers

Some of our infrastructure providers (e.g. Vercel, GoDaddy) are based in the United States. When your data is transferred outside the UAE/EEA, we rely on standard contractual clauses or equivalent safeguards as required by GDPR Chapter V and UAE PDPL Art. 22.

7. How long we keep your data

• Atlas access registrations: for the duration of your stated interest in the H2C Atlas, or until you request deletion.
• Consultants Network profiles: as long as you are active in the network. If we have no contact for 24 months, we will email you to confirm continued interest; we will delete the profile if there is no response.
• Email subscriptions: until you unsubscribe.
• Business correspondence: retained for up to 7 years as required by UAE commercial law.

8. Your rights

Under GDPR (if you are an EEA/UK resident) and UAE PDPL (if you are a UAE resident), you have the right to:

• Access — request a copy of the personal data we hold about you
• Rectification — ask us to correct inaccurate or incomplete data
• Erasure ("right to be forgotten") — ask us to delete your data
• Restriction — ask us to pause processing of your data
• Portability — receive your data in a structured, machine-readable format
• Object — object to processing based on legitimate interests
• Withdraw consent — at any time, without affecting the lawfulness of previous processing
• Lodge a complaint — with the UAE Data Office or your local EU supervisory authority

To exercise any of these rights, email sonia@h2c.info. We will respond within 30 days.

9. Cookies and similar technologies

H2C uses strictly necessary browser storage to remember:

• That you have accepted this privacy notice (so we don't show the banner again)
• That you have completed Atlas registration (so we don't ask you again on the same browser)

That's it. We do not use:

• Advertising or tracking cookies
• Third-party analytics (Google Analytics, Mixpanel, etc.)
• Social-media pixels (Meta, LinkedIn, etc.)
• Session replay or heatmap tools

You can clear browser storage at any time via your browser settings.

10. Security

We take reasonable technical and organisational measures to protect your data:

• All connections to h2c.info are encrypted with TLS (HTTPS).
• Form submissions are transmitted via encrypted channels.
• Access to back-end submissions is restricted to the founder and any explicitly authorised contractors under written confidentiality.
• We do not store passwords. No login system is used on h2c.info.
• We conduct regular reviews of the data we hold and minimise retention where possible.

11. Changes to this notice

We may update this privacy notice from time to time. When we do, we will update the "Effective" date at the top. If changes are material, we will email registered users at the address you provided.

12. Contact & complaints

For any privacy-related question, request, or concern, please contact:

Sonia Sanchez
Founder & Data Controller, H2C Hydrogen Consulting
Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
Email: sonia@h2c.info

If you believe your privacy rights have been violated, you may also:

• In the UAE: contact the UAE Data Office at tdra.gov.ae
• In the EEA/UK: contact your local data protection authority