Ready4H2 recently attended the Hydrogen Regulatory Forum organised by DG ENER. The aim of the Forum was to align policymakers and industry on how to regulate hydrogen effectively, for a competitive, integrated and scalable hydrogen market as part of its clean energy transition. The forum included participants from a broad range of perspectives: EU institutes, national regulators, academia and industry reps (hydrogen producers, infrastructure operators and industrial end users).
There was a clear and strong call amongst participants – industry and regulators alike - to make current market conditions and impending new regulations more conducive to hydrogen deployment. This included easing RFNBO restrictions, extending the transition period for temporal correlations and additionality, faster permitting, implementing RED targets, the transposition of the gas package in member states in a harmonised and transparent manner, facilitating lower renewable electricity prices and incentivising investment in hydrogen production, use and transportation.
Barbara Jinks, Ready4H2 director, report from the event that: “Key messages arising from Ready4H2’s work were quoted twice during the event by GD4S and Eurogas. These reinforced the essential role of DSOs delivering over half of the needed hydrogen by end users, notably over 60% to large industry, and made a clear call for full integration of the transmission and distribution networks to avoid bottlenecks and stranded assets”.
It remains to be seen if concrete regulatory changes or new policy directions will materialise from the Forum.
