Belgium has said it is committed to pushing the international trade of hydrogen and its derivatives, having assumed the rotating presidency of the European Council on Monday (January 1).
Now responsible for the functioning of the Council, the Belgian presidency said it will focus on promoting a “credible certification system and market platforms” to ensure transparency and trigger investments in hydrogen.
The presidency has said it will work with the European Commission on the Hydrogen Bank, among other initiatives, including a “potential EU hydrogen import strategy.”
Additionally, it noted the need for the bloc to “rapidly advance” the development of renewable and low-carbon energy sources and carriers, adding, “Increased investments into an integrated and future-proof energy network is essential to this end.”
A key arm of the EU’s REPowerEU hydrogen plans is its 2030 goal of importing 10 million tonnes of renewable hydrogen, in addition to the 10 million tonnes of domestic production.
In the latter months of 2023, the EU had been establishing and exploring partnerships with regions predicted to boast high hydrogen production potential as it looked to secure supply.
Previously, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz told a conference that Africa could “rely” on Germany as green hydrogen buyers. The comments came just months after Berlin predicted national hydrogen demand could reach 130tWh in 2030 – with 50-70% being met by imports.
Read more: Germany makes contribution to EIB hydrogen fund for developing countries
The commitment follows a partnership agreement signed at COP28 by the Hydrogen Council and International Hydrogen Trade Forum (IHTF) to advance international hydrogen value chain development.
In an update to its Global Hydrogen Flows report, the Hydrogen Council in November (2023), stressed long-distance hydrogen transportation would reduce overall investments.
Read more: Current hydrogen uptake not strong enough for Net Zero, Hydrogen Council warns
“By 2050, several countries could be producing hydrogen at close to $1.50/kg, with the lowest end of the production costs potentially being close to $1.20/kg,” the report said. “On the other end of the spectrum, countries with limited low-cost clean energy potential would see domestically produced hydrogen being significantly more expensive, typically above $3.50/kg.”
12 Days of Content: Hydrogen Europe
If 2023 is the year of regulatory completion, as far as hydrogen is concerned, 2024 could be the year of political upheaval. Several important elections taking place across Europe could determine the direction and speed of the industry scale up.
Three quarters of the way through this year, and we can finally – and proudly – say that the main investment framework in the EU is largely complete. We now have a definition of renewable hydrogen along with binding targets for its use in industry and transport. We have regulation for the shipping and aviation sector, binding targets for the roll out of hydrogen refuelling stations and a carbon emission system to push down emissions while protecting the industry from a possible relocation (ETS & CBAM); that’s the glass half-full perspective.
The half-empty view is that there is still uncertainty on how certification schemes will actually prove compliance with the renewable hydrogen definition, as the industry is still waiting for Commission validation of EU-wide voluntary schemes. Discussions on low-carbon hydrogen have not yet started, which could delay investments in that front well into 2025…
Click here to keep reading.
