The European Union has made progress towards having at least 50 Hydrogen Valleys – local industrial or transport clusters where renewable hydrogen supply feeds local demand – under construction or operational by 2030, but important work still needs to be done.
Today, the Commission published a Staff Working Document outlining the strategic priorities and actions that are currently ongoing or planned. They comprise:
- The Commission will support a ‘Hydrogen Valley Facility’ through the Clean Hydrogen Joint Undertaking, a public-private partnership under Horizon Europe, to help early-stage Hydrogen Valleys mature to the point where they can start construction.
- Building on the recently relaunched European Hydrogen Observatory, a new Clean Hydrogen Knowledge Hub will provide stakeholders with the information they require, allowing for automated data analysis and reporting to support knowledge-based decision making.
- Following the recent revision of the Strategic Energy Technology (SET) Plan, the Commission will work closely with Member States and stakeholders to implement the Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda (SRIA) of the ERA Pilot on Green Hydrogen.
- The Commission has approved four successive waves of hydrogen Integrated Projects of Common European Interest (IPCEIs). Together, these initiatives aim to raise over EUR 43 billion from a blend of public and private funds, supporting more than 120 projects involving nearly 100 European companies.
- A European Hydrogen Academy has been launched in January 2024, with an EU contribution of EUR 3 million. The European Commission intends to transform it into a European Net-Zero Industry Academy as announced in the Net-Zero Industry Act, providing a broad portfolio of education, training and reskilling.
- The Commission will intensify the cooperation with international partners on clean hydrogen deployment and the development of hydrogen markets, in particular through the Clean Hydrogen Mission under Mission Innovation.
- The additional EUR 200 million invested by the Commission in the Clean Hydrogen Joint Undertaking is being used to boost the support to Hydrogen Valleys across Europe.