Experts urge the EU to strengthen green hydrogen funding to maintain global leadership.

Madrid/Brussels (EFEverde).- The EU faces a "decisive crossroads" in its commitment to hydrogen: as China and the United States accelerate investments and deploy large-scale infrastructure, Europe must improve the coordination of its community funds and strengthen public-private cooperation to scale up key projects such as electrolyzer manufacturing, hydrogen transport, and storage.

This was the warning issued by institutional, scientific, and industrial leaders during a debate held in Brussels, in which they called for increased funding and a more ambitious strategy to maintain global leadership in this energy vehicle, essential for the ecological transition.

At the meeting, organized by Hydrogen Europe Research (HER) (the voice of the scientific community promoting an industrial ecosystem based on this energy vector), Luigi Crema, president of HER, recalled that the new Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) and the FP10 research program "will define European ambition."

Crema warned that "recent reports place hydrogen at the top of strategic sectors where European leadership is fragile" and called for more support "from the lowest levels of technological maturity."

Financing

HER Vice President Christian Sattler argued that the Clean Hydrogen Joint Undertaking should remain "the ideal channel for effective synergies" between science and industry. This public-private partnership, he added, must be linked "to industrialization and market deployment."

From the Directorate General for Research and Innovation, Joanna Drake emphasized that "the hydrogen economy will only be a reality through joint efforts," supported by the Strategic Plan for Energy Technologies and the international Mission Innovation initiative.

Tudor Constantinescu, Senior Energy Advisor, noted that the EU “is the only region with a comprehensive legislative framework” that includes demand targets, financing, infrastructure standards, and a well-known R&D program. “Even so,” he said, “we must strengthen implementation with all Member States.”

For his part, Jorgo Chatzimarkakis, CEO of Hydrogen Europe, proposed a Joint Undertaking that “does not just research, but builds markets and consolidates start-ups ,” emphasizing “smarter execution and faster results.”

Global competition

The speakers warned that global electrolysis capacity grew by 90% in 2024 and is projected to grow by 150% in 2025, but it has barely tripled in Europe, compared to a ninefold increase worldwide. According to the International Energy Agency, investments in biofuels, biogas, and hydrogen will reach nearly $25 billion in 2025, of which $8 billion will go to H₂.

Since 2020, hydrogen has accounted for less than 2% of European energy consumption. The vision for 2050 is to reach 10% with renewable hydrogen, which requires "binding standards that stimulate demand in industry and transport," according to the debate.

The revised Renewable Energy Directive requires that, by 2030, at least 1% of transport energy come from renewable hydrogen-based fuels (RHFBs). By 2050, studies by the Joint Research Centre predict that H₂ will cover 27% of final energy demand in mobility.

In terms of employment, the European hydrogen sector could grow from the current 40,000-50,000 jobs to one million by 2030 and 5.4 million by 2050, if climate and competitiveness goals are met.

Public-private cooperation

Valérie Bouillon-Delporte, Executive Director of the Joint Undertaking, described the platform as a “fundamental pillar of innovation” and emphasized that its model ensures that “scientific excellence translates into production, hydrogen valleys, and training for the future specialized workforce.”

Participants in the debate called for strengthening energy resilience through integrated systems, robust infrastructure, and a coordinated European program to eliminate bottlenecks throughout the entire value chain.

Last September, HER and more than 110 other organizations called on the Commission to increase R&D funding in the process of defining FP10, warning that the EU is "falling behind" in investment.

From left to right: Luigi Crema, President, Hydrogen Europe Research; Jorgo Chatzimarkakis, Managing Director, Hydrogen Europe; Valérie Bouillon-Delporte, Executive Director, Clean Hydrogen Partnership; Christian Sattler, Vice President, Hydrogen Europe Research; Tudor Constantinescu, Senior Advisor, DG ENER, European Commission Siobhan McGarry, Policy Officer, DG GROW, European Commission

Next steps

The European Commission will need to translate these demands into the next MFF and the European Competitiveness Fund, which are key to ensuring hydrogen maintains its "comparative advantage" and Europe regains momentum against its rivals.

Furthermore, the speakers urged updating the 2020 European Hydrogen Strategy to adjust objectives and resources to the new market reality and the climate emergency.

“This is a global race, and Europe must remain at the forefront,” Bouillon-Delporte summarized. Without a “strong and coherent” financial commitment, the Old Continent risks losing its role as world leader in hydrogen.

The message, the experts concluded, is clear: more strategic investment, better coordination, and rapid execution are vital for European hydrogen to move from theory to industrial reality before others take the finish line. EFEverde

Main photo: EFE archive resource