Green Hydrogen ecosystems integrate the production, storage, and use of hydrogen from renewable sources. They play a significant role in reducing carbon emissions, strengthening energy security, and promoting economic growth by fostering innovation and generating employment opportunities.
Understanding Green Hydrogen Ecosystems
A green hydrogen ecosystem is a comprehensive network that encompasses the production, storage, distribution, and utilisation of hydrogen produced using renewable energy sources, such as wind and solar power. This ecosystem integrates various technologies, infrastructure, and stakeholders to create a sustainable and carbon-free energy cycle. Green hydrogen is produced through the electrolysis of water, powered by renewable energy sources such as wind, solar, or hydropower.
Why Green Hydrogen?
Green hydrogen is crucial for reducing carbon emissions in industries that are hard to electrify, such as steel and cement production, as well as long-haul transport like shipping and aviation. However, building new ecosystems comes with significant challenges, including high production costs, obtaining renewable energy for the electrolysis process, and a lack of infrastructure throughout the entire value chain.
Key enabling factors for the development of green hydrogen ecosystems in European regions are the creation of regional clusters and the co-creation of place-based policies. This involves fostering collaboration between public authorities, private companies, and research institutions, aiming to facilitate market development, reduce barriers, and customise investments and resources to meet the specific needs and characteristics of each area.
The Role of Regions in Europe’s Green Hydrogen Strategy
Regions serve as pivotal facilitators in Europe’s green hydrogen journey, acting as catalysts for multistakeholder collaboration and leveraging their specific skills and competencies to drive progress. Their connection to civil society further enhances inclusivity and ensures that diverse voices are heard in the transition to a sustainable energy future. With their unique position, regions play an essential role in both the development and employment of green hydrogen technologies, contributing to economic growth and environmental sustainability.
Register for the AER Webinar on Green H2 Ecosystems!
Recognising the significance of regions in this context, the AER is organising a webinar on November 27th, within the framework of the working group on green hydrogen, providing a platform for knowledge exchange and collaboration among stakeholders interested in advancing green hydrogen initiatives.
The European Landscape for Green Hydrogen Development
At the European level, there are four main issues at stake in scaling up the renewable hydrogen economy:
- Climate Goals and Decarbonization: Achieving the EU’s ambitious climate goals, including net-zero emissions by 2050.
- Energy Security and Independence: Reducing dependence on fossil fuel imports by diversifying energy sources with domestically produced renewable hydrogen. This enhances energy security and resilience against geopolitical risks.
- Economic Growth and Competitiveness: Developing a green hydrogen economy can create jobs, stimulate innovation, and maintain Europe’s global competitiveness in emerging clean technologies. This includes fostering new industries and revitalizing existing ones through green hydrogen applications.
- Infrastructure Development: Establishing the necessary infrastructure for hydrogen production, storage, transport, and distribution is critical. This requires significant investment and coordinated planning across member states.
The EU has launched and promotes several industrial, funding and research and innovation initiatives on hydrogen:
- Clean Hydrogen Partnership
The Clean Hydrogen Partnership (2021-2027) is a joint public-private partnership supported by the Commission, through Horizon Europe. It builds upon the success of its predecessor, the Fuel Cells and Hydrogen Joint Undertaking and includes also the Hydrogen Valleys Platform, an EU led-initiative under Mission Innovation. On 1 March 2023, the Commission and key stakeholders signed a joint declaration on renewable hydrogen research and innovation, committing to step up and accelerate joint action in research, development, demonstration and deployment of Hydrogen Valleys.
- European Clean Hydrogen Alliance
The European Clean Hydrogen Alliance was launched alongside the EU hydrogen strategy in 2020 as part of the new industrial strategy for the EU. It brings together industry, national and local authorities, civil society and other stakeholders.
The alliance’s objective is to achieve an ambitious deployment of hydrogen technologies by 2030 by bringing together renewable and low-carbon hydrogen production, demand in industry, transport and other sectors, and hydrogen transmission and distribution.
It launched 6 thematic roundtables in key areas of hydrogen production, transportation and use and published a hydrogen project pipeline in November 2021.
It also hosts the ‘Electrolyser Partnership’ to bring together electrolyser manufacturers and suppliers of components and materials to achieve a combined annual electrolyser manufacturing capacity of 17.5 GW by 2025 in Europe.
- Hydrogen Public Funding Compass
The Hydrogen Public Funding Compass is an online guide for stakeholders to identify public funding sources for hydrogen projects and it provides information on all the EU programmes and funds (2021-2027) that are relevant for the sector.
- Regional Innovation Valleys
Launched in May 2023, the Regional Innovation Valleys (RIVs) initiative aims to support regional innovation ecosystems for green and digital transitions.
About the Working Group on Green Hydrogen
The proposal for this working group was submitted in 2022 by Catalonia, who is chairing the Working Group until the end of 2024.
The group addresses the crucial transition to renewable hydrogen, a pressing concern given that hydrogen currently makes up less than 2% of Europe’s energy mix and is predominantly produced from fossil fuels. The transition to clean hydrogen from renewable sources like wind and solar is essential but expensive. Regions play a key role in scaling up the renewable hydrogen economy, as noted by the Committee of the Regions in 2020, highlighting green hydrogen’s potential to promote regional and local development.
This group focuses on key topics such as
- the hydrogen value chain
- decarbonisation of transport and industry
- green hydrogen production
- the development of Hydrogen Valleys.
The working group currently includes 17 regions: Catalonia (ES), Abruzzo (IT), Vale d’Aosta (IT), Västra Götaland (SE), Värmland (SE), Kosice Self-governing Region (SK), Lower Austria (AT), Burgenland (AT), Mayo (IE), Donegal (IE), Grand Est (FR), Fribourg (CH), Denizli (TR), Gaziantep (TR), Adana (TR), Flevoland (NL), and Maramures (RO).
It’s Possible to Join Anytime!
To join this AER Working Group, exchange with peers, and contribute to shaping future activities, please fill in this form. Working groups are exclusively for AER members.
A new nomination in December
At its workshop on December 4th in Brussels, the Working Group will nominate a new chair. Regions interested in this role should contact AER Coordinator for Policy & Knowledge Exchange Johanna Pacevicius.
This article was written by Nicola Miceli, who did an internship on Policy & Knowledge Transfer at the AER Secretariat from January 2024 to June 2024.
