WindEurope and SolarPower Europe are launching the Renewable Hydrogen Coalition to support and accelerate the uptake of green hydrogen solutions in Europe.
The Renewable Hydrogen Coalition is also supported by Breakthrough Energy, and will build a high-level and interdisciplinary network of innovators, entrepreneurs and corporate leaders from the growing green hydrogen community, including industrial off-takers.
The coalition’s goal is to empower Europe to build on its flourishing renewables industry, create a world class electrolyser industry, and develop the business models and markets that will make renewable hydrogen mainstream.
It aims to inform the policy debate with concrete proposals for the scaling up and market uptake of renewable hydrogen – traceability, infrastructure investments, market design, and incentives.
The coalition also calls on leaders to redouble efforts in research and demonstration, while scaling up investments to bring new technologies to the market more quickly.
A new study released at the launch showed that renewable hydrogen in Europe could grow at much faster rate than current strategies suggest through value chain collaborations with end-product producers, similar to what the European Battery Alliance has done for electric vehicles.
Renewable hydrogen is a significant investment opportunity of €550-700bn with an abatement potential of 450-550 million tonnes of CO2, the report said.
It noted that there is significant ‘hidden demand’ in the European economy for green hydrogen, with 540 terrawattt-hours (TWh) potential demand unlockable in the near term and 1200-1400TWh in the medium-term, provided there will be sufficient cost decreases, investments, and policy support.
“To realise this potential, Europe needs to act with speed and scale in four areas: establish lead markets, mobilise massive investments, accelerate innovation from early-stage research through demonstration, deployment and scale-up, and establish enabling policies and standards,” the report said.
WindEurope chief executive Giles Dickson said: “To fully decarbonise energy in Europe we need renewable hydrogen. And it needs to be ‘made in Europe’.
“WindEurope is pleased to be part of this coalition. We want to help build a strong European renewable hydrogen industry – based on European renewables.”
SolarPower Europe chief executive Walburga Hemetsberger said: “Europe is a world-leader in many renewable energy technologies, including the latest innovative applications of solar.
“Now is a golden opportunity for Europe to develop a robust and competitive renewable hydrogen industry, so it can lead the world in this decarbonisation solution.
“In order to ensure that the European Commission’s ambitious climate targets are met, and that all sectors are decarbonised before 2050, renewable hydrogen provides the missing link, and the Renewable Hydrogen Coalition is ready to amplify Europe’s position on this technology and provide the necessary network and input.”
RWE Renewables chief executive Anja Dotzenrath said: “To help decarbonise the industry and hard to electrify sectors the European Hydrogen Strategy foresees 80-120GW of renewables are needed by 2030 to generate Renewable Hydrogen.
“Offshore Wind can provide this additionality, but some prerequisites need to be fulfilled: offshore areas need to be auctioned and assigned fast and developers need a stable and effective support framework (carbon contract for difference).
“Furthermore, to incentivise hydrogen demand & supply the burden of levies and taxes on electricity need to be reduced.”
Breakthrough Energy director Europe Ann Mettler said: “Green hydrogen is the buzz word of Europe’s energy policy but who are the entrepreneurs and doers that are driving this technology?
“What do they want from policy, investors, and end users in order to unleash the potential of this zero-emission resource?
“The Renewable Hydrogen Coalition will be a dynamic platform for those who want to push the boundaries of innovation, who want to build the business models of the future and who want to actively build the net-zero economy of tomorrow.”
Nordex Group chief executive Jose Luis Blanco said: “Hydrogen is one of the elements set to support the energy transition toward a climate neutral economy.
“To achieve this, it is crucial that hydrogen is produced with renewable energies. Wind power is a cheap and reliable renewable source for the production of renewable hydrogen.”
EDP interim chief executive Miguel Stilwell de Andrade said: “Renewable hydrogen has been gaining momentum driven by ambitious decarbonisation targets and the need to complement electrification in enabling the use of renewable energy sources.
“At EDP, we see renewable hydrogen as part of our commitments towards a sustainable future.”
BayWa RE Group chief executive Matthias Taft said: “Ramping up Green Hydrogen in Europe requires scaling up renewable energy plants.
“Only if we realise economies of scale in Solar and Wind power generation, can we ensure lowest cost power supply for electrolysis.
“Hence, we need to take an integrated approach to the green hydrogen value chain, starting with green power.
“BayWa RE therefore supports this important initiative and looks forward to working with the coalition to bring forward a truly renewable hydrogen agenda.”