Lhe European Union (EU) has made the development of hydrogen a priority. The plan REPowerEU has set ambitious targets between now and 2030. Competition law has twisted its rejection of state aid by recognizing that hydrogen could constitute an important project of common European interest (IPCEI) whose two first waves (relating to the manufacture of key technologies and the development of uses) represent 10.6 billion euros of State aid authorizations by the Commission. The creation of a hydrogen bank has been decided, endowed with 3 billion euros.
On the normative level, the EU is also in the process of acting through the project currently under discussion for the revision of the directive on renewable energy (known as “RED 3”) and the hydrogen and gas directive. The RED 3 project gives a major boost to hydrogen by setting – or so the Commission’s proposal – ambitious targets for electrolytic renewable hydrogen, i.e. hydrogen produced by the fragmentation of water molecule, by 2030 and 2035 in industry.
Does this mean that everything is for the best? Probably not. Because one of the key points of this reform is taking into account the type of primary energy used to achieve this target. The EU is divided. Eight Member States, including France and seven Central and Eastern European States – including Hungary and Poland – sent a letter to the Energy Commissioner on 25 October 2022, asking that decarbonated hydrogen of nuclear origin be taken into account in the objectives adopted.
An environmental issue
The provision was taken up by the Czech Presidency of the EU, and supported by an industrial coalition in a letter of November 28, bringing together around France Hydrogen the representatives of the European sectors of the future main users of carbon-free hydrogen.
Several member states oppose it. Germany, after joining the French position through the November 25 energy solidarity agreement, changed its position, fighting the French position in December.
The Franco-German declaration of January 22 seems to seal a new agreement between the two States, which undertake to ensure that hydrogen “can be taken into account in the decarbonization objectives set at European level”. This agreement could make it possible to conclude the negotiations on the renewable energy directive in the coming weeks, if it is followed this time by real effects in the European talks.
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