The European Commission will soon release its proposed changes to green hydrogen production rules, according to Energy Commissioner Dan Jørgensen.
In a video address to European Hydrogen Week, Jørgensen said that despite hydrogen sector growth being “below expectations”, the EU should “switch gears” and fix what does not work.
The Commissioner said the executive’s review of the delegated acts on renewable fuels of non-biological origin (RFNBO) would support this.
However, originally expected by the end of June, the industry has been left waiting for four months, with no update.
“These will soon come out for public feedback,” Jørgensen said. “With these updated delegated acts, we seek the flexibility the industry needs to get the market started.”
The current RFNBO rules have drawn widespread criticism because they require electrolyser operators to source renewable electricity under strict “additionality” and temporal matching requirements, which many developers argue increase production costs.
The delegated act was originally scheduled for review in 2028, but the Commission pledged an earlier reassessment following mounting industry criticism.
Brussels said the early review was prompted by the “slower than expected ramp-up “ of the green hydrogen market, characterised by cancelled and delayed projects.
“The direction is clear; it is one of the higher standards,” Jørgensen said. “But we need to be pragmatic first.
Under the existing framework, hourly matching is due to replace monthly matching from 2030, while additionality requirements will apply to new projects from 2028, with exemptions for earlier installations.
Many trade groups had been calling for the additionality requirements and hourly matching rules to be delayed until 2035, giving the market up to between five and seven more years to adapt.
The Commission has yet to confirm which requirements it intends to amend, leaving developers uncertain about the regulatory conditions under which future projects will operate.
