Ready4H2 joined other industry represents at the ERIG exhibition booth during Hydrogen Week in Brussels last week to discuss key findings from the Hy2Market project. Hy2Market is an I3-funded initiative that strengthens connections in 10 EU regions, coordinating areas with hydrogen production potential to areas with emerging demand. It seeks to raise awareness of the barriers that hinder the development of a mature hydrogen value chain across Europe and proposes remedial actions for the EU Commission and Member States.
There was a robust discussion on the three areas of the project’s focus – policy and investment conditions, standards and permitting, and skills and institutional capacity. There was general agreement that more coordination is needed between production, infrastructure development and demand and that more hydrogen demand certainty and better alignment between support instruments and infrastructure timelines is needed. In addition, EU permitting and certification pathways need to be faster and simpler, earlier stakeholder engagement is needed for project and that a common competence training frameworks across borders will reduce the skills bottlenecks.
Hans Rasmusson, Secretary General of ERIG, summarised the findings: “Europe does not lack hydrogen ambition of the industry - Hy2Market and Ready4H2 show that regions and distribution networks are ready to play their part; now we need to remove the regulatory and market barriers that prevent the hydrogen value chain from scaling across borders”.
