With great enthusiasm, Hydrogen Europe welcomes today’s publication of “Powering a climate-neutral economy: An EU Strategy for Energy System Integration” and the accompanying communication “A hydrogen strategy for a climate-neutral Europe”.
The fact that the European Commission has decided to present a dedicated communication on a hydrogen strategy is testament to the commitment for a systemic change out of fossil into electricity and hydrogen in order to achieve the EU’s 2030 and 2050 climate targets.
Meeting the EU’s long-term climate and energy goals and realising the promise of the EU Green Deal means carbon free power, increased energy efficiency and deep decarbonisation of industry, transport and buildings. Achieving all this will require both electrons and molecules, and more specifically: renewable hydrogen and low-carbon hydrogen at large scale. Without hydrogen, the EU will not achieve its decarbonisation goals on time. As such, the hydrogen sector is primed to play a key role as an enabler of sector integration and a systemic role in the transition to renewable sources by providing a mechanism to flexibly transfer energy across sectors, time and place. Hydrogen Europe is committed to working hand in hand with the renewables sector to pave the way, together, towards a climate neutral economy based on “HydroGenewables”!
The EU needs to be the starting point for the development of hydrogen as a global commodity. The world is watching, we have the opportunity to promote a disruptive industrial revolution that will create new value chains, jobs and boost EU competitiveness globally while promoting and supporting sustainable development goals. With a view to future legislative initiatives, the EU should strive to develop a blueprint for a hydrogen market design that can be replicated by other geographies. In doing this, Europe will become the birthplace for the global hydrogen economy, forming the foundations for a globally traded market.
The launching of the European Clean Hydrogen Alliance (ECH2A) today serves as a springboard for kick-starting the industrialization of hydrogen technologies. The ECH2A will provide support for the entire hydrogen value chain to go scale up and play a crucial role in implementing the ambition of the Hydrogen Strategy. It will specially build up a clear and concrete pipeline of projects and investment plans, while delivering a coherent vision of hydrogen supply, distribution and demand.
On the occasion of the launch of the ECH2A, the CEOs represented at today’s ceremony made the following statements:
“We believe in the potential of large-scale renewable hydrogen production in Europe. The industry stands ready to deliver on this historic opportunity for Europe to take a technological leadership role.” – Wolfgang Anzengruber, CEO, Verbund
“The blending of hydrogen into gas networks has already begun. Without a doubt, we need hydrogen-ready backbones. We are making it happen.” – Marco Alverà, CEO, SNAM
“Hydrogen is a perfect solution for long-haul, heavy-duty and commercial vehicles. The extensive development of clean hydrogen corridors and ecosystems will be a huge step towards sustainable mobility, with significant environmental and economic benefits.” – Florent Menegaux, CEO, Michelin
“Clean hydrogen in industrial processes like refining is a prime candidate for scaling up, which will have a beneficial impact on CO2 reduction across Europe.” – Daniel Obajtek, CEO, PKN Orlen
“From renewable energy production to transport and storage of hydrogen, this strategy sets out the path in front of us. As part of recovering the EU economy, we have a golden opportunity in making the investments happen and greening the energy we all use.” – Han Fennema, CEO, Gasunie
“A successful move to a hydrogen economy is important for Europe. Hydrogen is a strong enabler for sectoral integration. It should not be limited to specific sectors and be made available for mobility, industry and heat applications. For example, clean hydrogen will enable us to realize residential heating and cooling without fossil fuels in order to meet the targets of the Paris agreement.” – Volkmar Denner, Chairman, Robert Bosch
“The time for hydrogen has finally arrived. We are ready to work together with all relevant stakeholders to enable sector integration and deliver climate neutrality in 2050.” – Jorgo Chatzimarkakis, Secretary General, Hydrogen Europe
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