What You Will Learn In The Webinar
The EU Hydrogen and Gas Decarbonisation Package – Help or hindrance for the development of a European Hydrogen Market?

The European Commission has identified ‘renewable’ and ‘low-carbon’ hydrogen as major elements of its decarbonisation strategy. The REPowerEU Communication of 2022 set the target for renewable hydrogen consumption at 20 Mt/y by 2030, of which 10 Mt/y would be imported. In December 2021 the Commission published the Hydrogen and Gas Decarbonisation Package which included proposals for regulation of hydrogen infrastructure. The final package is expected to be agreed with the EU Parliament and EU Council by the end of 2023.

The Commission’s policy objectives include:

• facilitating the emergence of an open and competitive EU hydrogen market;
• removing barriers to, and ensuring incentives for, investment in hydrogen infrastructure;
• addressing the risk of natural monopolies in hydrogen infrastructure;
• ensuring cross-border integration within the EU and with third countries and unhindered cross-border flows of hydrogen;
• providing transparency of the repurposing of existing natural gas networks to transport hydrogen; and
• enabling cost-efficient planning on the basis of scenarios in line with climate target objectives.

• regulated third-party access and ownership unbundling for hydrogen networks with limited exceptions to this to the end of 2030, and possible limited exemptions thereafter for interconnectors;
• regulated third-party access to hydrogen storage and negotiated third-party access for hydrogen import terminals;
• No cross-border tariffs on hydrogen networks and discounts for renewable gases in natural gas networks;
• A separate European Network of Network Operators for Hydrogen (ENNOH) by end 2025;
• a definition of low-carbon hydrogen by end of 2024 with greenhouse gas savings of at least 70 per cent;

Is this realistic? Does it make sense? Will it work? Is the Commission moving fast enough? Where are the challenges both on the technical and the market side? What else has to be considered?

Alex Barnes, Visiting Research Fellow of The Oxford Institute for Energy Studies, has published an extensive report on “The EU Hydrogen And Gas Decarbonisation Package – Help or hindrance for the development of a European Hydrogen Market?” This report was published in March 2023, and it gives a great overview of what is going on in the EU from a hydrogen policy perspective.

In this webinar, he will summarize the EU Hydrogen and Gas Decarbonisation Package and share his findings on what is good and what the Commission should improve to make sure the decarbonization goals will be achieved.

This webinar is not only important for people who are interested in hydrogen policies, but also for companies who are willing to invest – and who want to make sure their investments are backed by the political framework.
​​​​​​​
​​​​​​​
Sponsors of the Mission Hydrogen Webinar Series:​​​​​​​​​​​​​​
​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​GOLD: Hexagon Purus, NEUMAN & ESSER GROUP, Wenger Engineering GmbH, Wenger Hydrogen GmbH

Silver: Atlas Copco, Burckhardt Compression AG, ​​​​​​​Dräger Safety, Hydrogenious LOHC Technologies​​​​​​​, MSA – The Safety Company, Siemens AG, thyssenkrupp nucera, VOSS Holding GmbH + Co. KG​​​​​​​

Bronze: PHOENIX CONTACT, Siren Energy​​​​​​​