Hydrogen

The EU’s priority is to replace hydrogen produced from fossil fuels with green hydrogen, i.e. hydrogen produced using clean energy from renewable sources through electrolysis.

Clean hydrogen will play an important role in decarbonizing hard-to-abate sectors, such as heavy industry, shipping, aviation and heavy transport. To accelerate the production and uptake of hydrogen, the EU has recently adopted the Fourth Gas Package. The regulatory framework delineates new rules on the unbundling of hydrogen transmission network operators and on the development of hydrogen infrastructure across the Union.

Nonetheless, demand for hydrogen is almost entirely met by hydrogen produced from unabated fossil fuels, while low-emission hydrogen production is still at an early stage at global level.

Critical issues arise: which sources does “renewable hydrogen” encompass? Is low-carbon hydrogen a viable alternative to renewable hydrogen? Which players will be allowed to produce hydrogen and under which rules? Which rules will apply to dedicated hydrogen networks?

In this section of the Resource Center we cover all these topics. Click to find out more.