The Recovery and Resiliency Facility for clean energy is a temporary instrument made available to EU countries in 2021. Among other types of clean energy, it supports countries to invest in hydrogen projects across the value chain.
Investment support has also been provided through the Important Projects of Common European Interest (IPCEIs) on hydrogen. The first IPCEI, called ‘IPCEI Hy2Tech’ includes 41 projects and was approved in July 2022. It aims at developing innovative technologies for the hydrogen value chain to decarbonise industrial processes and the transport sector, with a focus on end-users.
In September 2022, the Commission approved ‘IPCEI Hy2Use’, which complements IPCEI Hy2Tech. It will support the construction of hydrogen-related infrastructure and the development of innovative and more sustainable technologies for the integration of hydrogen into the industrial sector.
The third ‘IPCEI Hy2Infra’ was approved in February 2024, and supports the development of electrolysers, hydrogen transmission and distribution pipelines, large-scale hydrogen storage facilities and handling terminals.
IPCEI Hy2Move, jointly prepared and notified by 7 EU countries, was approved in May 2024 and will cover a wide part of the hydrogen technology value chain by supporting the development of a set of technological innovations.
EU hydrogen initiatives
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 on the success of its predecessor, the Fuel Cells and Hydrogen Joint Undertaking and also includes 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 bringing together industry, national and local authorities, civil society and other stakeholders.
Its 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. It provides information on all relevant EU programmes and funds for 2021-2027.
