European push towards clean hydrogen technologies leadership

Hydrogen, the first chemical element of the period table, is on the brink of becoming a world game changer in the transition from fossil-based system of energy production to renewable energy sources and the transition to a climate-neutral economy. It is thus key for achieving the Green Deal goals.

This new form of energy has not escaped the European Commission, which has been working on hydrogen as a transition enabler for more than ten years. This has placed the European Union in a leading position for the development of clean hydrogen technologies.

Key sectors for the uptake of renewable-based hydrogen include:

• Industry, where it could replace fossil-based feedstocks such as natural gas in high-emission applications
• Buildings and power, where it could be mixed with natural gas or combined with industrial carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions to produce syngas
• Transport, where it can provide low-carbon mobility through fuel-cell electric vehicles

Increased R&I funding opportunities

The European Research Area for clean hydrogen will benefit from increased research and innovation (R&I) efforts at both the EU and the national levels. The Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda of the Clean Hydrogen Joint Undertaking is about to be published, followed by its annual work plan, opening new calls for projects and funding opportunities.

In order to help Luxembourg players understand how the European Commission aims at achieving a European Research Area for clean hydrogen, Luxinnovation’s EU RDI support team has prepared an executive summary of the initiative. The summary document highlights European investments that will be done under different mechanism and programmes such as Horizon Europe (the European framework programme for research and innovation) and the Clean Hydrogen Joint Undertaking.

European momentum

The European Union is building its capacity to be the leader in the development and use of clean hydrogen energy for the transition towards a climate-neutral economy.

It has published its “hydrogen strategy for a climate-neutral Europe” in 2020, which has been complemented with initiatives to coordinate the European investments and research innovation and development funding opportunities, notably with the establishment of the European Research Area for clean hydrogen.

In 2021, Luxembourg positioned itself in the hydrogen field with a national strategy aiming at reaching carbon neutrality by 2050. The strategy includes a strong focus on the energy sector.