European Commission Calls for Increased Hydrogen Use, Creating More Competition for NatGas

In another sign of the surging global interest in using hydrogen to reduce carbon emissions, the European Commission (EC) recently published what it called a “roadmap” for the European Union (EU) to install at least 6 GW of renewable hydrogen electrolyser capacity by 2024 and 40 GW by 2030.

European hydrogen electrolyser capacity currently totals less than 1 GW, or less than 2% of the European energy mix, said the EC, the legislative body for the 27-member state EU. The EC projects hydrogen to account for 13-14% of Europe’s energy mix by 2050 to help meet the stringent emissions reduction targets in the Paris Accord.

“Large-scale deployment of clean hydrogen at a fast pace is key for the EU to achieve a higher climate ambition, reducing greenhouse gas emissions by...