IOGP input to the Roadmap on the EU strategy on hydrogen in Europe

This document provides IOGP’s input and policy recommendations to the Roadmap on the EU strategy on hydrogen in Europe.

Clean hydrogen has strong potential to play a vital role in decarbonisation, in particular for hard-to-abate sectors (e.g. heavy-duty transport and energy-intensive industries) as they require high-temperate heat and cannot easily be electrified.

• Market based & technology neutrality as driving principles for the EU Strategy on hydrogen: focus on production
• Hydrogen applications
  • Hydrogen in transport
  • Hydrogen in heating
• Building an infrastructure fit for CO2 and hydrogen
  • Removing barriers for Hydrogen and CO2 transport and storage to develop the entire CCS and hydrogen value chains
  • Leverage the existing assets
• Creating only one market and one standardised system for Guarantees of Origin for low-carbon gases including all forms of clean hydrogen
• Establishing an adequate policy framework on financing R&D and innovation
• International cooperation on hydrogen
• Projects focussing on hydrogen

We support a strategy which comprises all clean hydrogen production pathways, including from renewable electricity, natural gas reforming with CCS (carbon capture and storage) and methane pyrolysis. We also recognise that different technologies might play different roles depending on the timeline, with natural gas reforming to lead in the near term, allowing other emerging technologies to develop and scale up. What matters is the ability to cost-effectively reduce GHG (greenhouse gas) emissions at scale and contribute to reaching the EU 2050 climate-neutrality objective.

We are certain that in addition to contributing to climate neutrality, hydrogen can also help to stimulate economic development. Today, 70% of hydrogen production comes from natural gas; if decarbonised with CCS, it will accelerate the establishment of clean hydrogen value chains. Such a development would create a new low-carbon industry and jobs, with the potential to account for 24% of final energy demand and 5.4m jobs by 20503.

For this reason, IOGP calls on policymakers to create a solid framework that incentivises development of clean hydrogen and other low-carbon gases. Scaling up all forms of clean hydrogen is an opportunity to demonstrate Europe’s commitment to decarbonising the economy while creating high-quality jobs for citizens.