EU urged to require more ‘Made in Europe’ standards for hydrogen sector

20 of the largest electrolyser manufacturers, including Nel Hydrogen, Siemens Energy and thyssenkrupp Nucera, have signed a letter calling on European Commission President-designate Ursula von der Leyen to ensure a level playing field and require more “Made in Europe” standards for the industry.

The companies argued that Chinese subsidies for state-owned hydrogen companies create “leaning” playing conditions that put European producers at a significant disadvantage.

The push for European resilience criteria is aimed at supporting the development of a resilient value chain in Europe, as well as Europe’s ambition to become a leader in renewable hydrogen production, which is seen as a key way to reduce emissions from heavy industry and trucking, companies said.

It is worth noting that the European Union (EU) aims to produce 10 million tonnes of renewable hydrogen by 2030 and import another 10 million tonnes as part of its plan to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.

European manufacturers have said they want essential parts of the electrolyser production process, such as cell assembly, cell stacking and surface treatment, to be carried out in Europe under the next round of EU Hydrogen Bank funding at the end of 2024, saying results from the EU Hydrogen Bank’s pilot auction show that less than half of awarded projects plan to rely on European technology.

Nel Hydrogen said the companies hope their actions will lead to the creation of new regulations that will support the development of a European renewable hydrogen value chain and help European electrolyzer manufacturers compete with imports from China.

CEO and President Nel Hydrogen Håkon Volldal commented: “I don’t want to give up on Europe. If we don’t create demand for European technology in Europe, we’ll miss the opportunity for European OEMs to win.”

Let us recall that the European Commission has recently started work on a pilot mechanism aimed at accelerating investments by ensuring “brighter” image of the market situation of customers and suppliers and facilitating contacts between them.

According to the Commission, the mechanism will collect, process and share information on demand and supply for renewable, low-emission hydrogen and its derivatives, enabling European customers to match European and foreign suppliers. It will also collect and process market data on the development of hydrogen flows and prices.

The commission said it had launched a tender process to find a service provider to develop an IT platform to run the mechanism, adding that it planned to sign a contract by the end of this year so that the platform could start operating in mid-2025.