Here you will find an overview curated by HyPA of relevant European and international initiatives and committees related to hydrogen (selection).
Focus on Europe
This is one of the numerous joint programmes of the European Energy Research Alliance EERA.
Link: https://www.eera-fch.eu
This alliance was announced in the EU Industrial Strategy in March 2020 and formally launched on 8 July 2020. It is expected to play a strategic role in the implementation of the EU hydrogen strategy. Goal: "large-scale deployment of clean hydrogen technologies by 2030", concretised by the objectives of RePower EU.
EGHAC was founded in November 2020. The aim is to decarbonise industrial value chains that are difficult to decarbonise, with a focus on solutions using green hydrogen.
There are six workstreams:
- Promotion and co-creation of industrial projects across the value chain
- Building connections with other industrial and energy value chains
- Acceleration of technology development
- Stimulation of market growth
- Societal acceptance
- Addressing the skills gaps
There is also the EGHAC Business Investment Platform (BIP).
Link: https://eghac.com/
Link: https://s3platform.jrc.ec.europa.eu/hydrogen-valleys
Current developments:
"On March 1, 2023 Commissioner Mariya Gabriel (on behalf of the European Commission), Hydrogen Europe Research President Luigi Crema, Hydrogen Europe CEO Jorgo Chatzimarkakis, and S3 European Hydrogen Valleys Partnership Co-leader Tjisse Stelpstra, signed a joint declaration on Hydrogen Valleys during the event "Repowering the EU with Hydrogen Valleys" in Brussels."
Source: https://hydrogeneuroperesearch.eu/joint-declaration-on-hydrogen-valleys-march-1-2023/
The European Partnership for Clean Hydrogen is one of around 50 partnerships in Horizon Europe: an industry-led European RTI programme that is co-funded by the EU (public-private partnership). The Partnership took over from the Fuel Cells and Hydrogen Joint Undertaking in November 2021.
The "Agenda process for a European research initiative on hydrogen technologies" was initiated by the German Council Presidency. Austria is actively involved.
A Strategic Research & Innovation Agenda (SRIA) was published in March 2022.
See also section 2.7 "Green Hydrogen for Europe" in the Austrian Action Plan for the European Research Area (ERA-NAP) 2022-2025 of the BMBWF and BMK, which was published in December 2022.
Link to the action plan: https://www.bmbwf.gv.at/Themen/Forschung/Forschung-in-der-EU/Leitthemen-der-EU-Forschung/Europ%C3%A4ischer-Forschungsraum-(ERA)/ERA-NAP.html
This is a network organised by the European Commission's Directorate-General ENER to support countries in the field of hydrogen.
"The Hydrogen Energy Network is an informal group of representatives from the energy ministries in EU countries that aims to help national energy authorities build on the opportunities offered by hydrogen as an energy carrier. It acts as an informal platform to share information on good practices, experience and the latest developments in hydrogen, and to work jointly on specific issues. The Hydrogen Energy Network meetings take place twice a year."
The presentations of the meetings can be found here: https://energy.ec.europa.eu/topics/energy-systems-integration/hydrogen/hydrogen-energy-network-meetings_en
"Hydrogen Europe (HE) is the European association representing the interest of the hydrogen industry and its stakeholders and promoting hydrogen as an enabler of a zero-emission society. With more than 400+ members, including 25+ EU regions and 30+ national associations, we encompass the entire value chain of the European hydrogen and fuel cell ecosystem. Our vision is to propel global carbon neutrality by accelerating European hydrogen industry."
(Vision of HE, April 2023)
Launched in November 2020 by Wind Europe, SolarPower Europe and supported by Breakthrough Energy. The Renewable Hydrogen Coalition publishes and communicates "positions from the Coalition".
Link: https://renewableh2.eu/
International
Initiative of the World Economic Forum (WEF).
"The Accelerating Clean Hydrogen initiative has over 200 members from 60 organisations, including public and private stakeholders dedicated to accelerating the development of the clean hydrogen economy. The initiative leverages its network of global organisations to collaborate on hydrogen."
Link: https://initiatives.weforum.org/accelerating-clean-hydrogen-initiative/home
"The Hydrogen Initiative aims to advance policies, programmes and projects that accelerate the commercialization and deployment of hydrogen fuels and technologies across all aspects of the economy. Building on recommendations from the Hydrogen energy Ministerial meeting in 2018 in Japan, and in partnership with other coalitions like the International Partnership for Hydrogen and Fuel Cells in the Economy (IPHE) and Mission Innovation, the initiative focuses on how hydrogen can contribute to cleaner energy systems, while promoting sustainability, resilience and energy security."
There are three so-called "key areas":
- Helping to ensure successful deployment of hydrogen within current industrial applications.
- Enabling deployment of hydrogen technologies in transport (e.g. freight, mass transit, light-rail, marine).
- Exploring the role of hydrogen in meeting the energy needs of communities.
There are 21 countries involved, including Austria. The IEA has taken over the coordination of this initiative.
The Clean Energy Ministerial Hydrogen Initiative carries out the following activities:
- Aspirational Goals
- Global Ports Hydrogen Coalition
- Roundtable On The North-West European Region
- Hydrogen Trade
- H2 Twin Cities Initiative
Link: http://www.cleanenergyministerial.org/initiative-clean-energy-ministerial/hydrogen-initiative
In 2023, the International Hydrogen Trade Forum was launched as a high-level, international H2 initiative as part of the Clean Energy Ministerial (CEM). This is a ministerial cooperation between import/export countries to promote the topic of hydrogen trade. In particular, the importance of establishing international hydrogen supply chains, also known as "trade corridors", is emphasised. The current members include: Australia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Germany, Japan, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Netherlands, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States, Uruguay, European Commission. The initiative is supervised by UNIDO. Austria's accession to this initiative is in preparation.
This activity was authorised as part of the Mission Innovation in mid-2021 and follows on from the "Mission Innovation Challenge Renewable and Clean Hydrogen".
"The Clean Hydrogen Mission will accelerate the building of a global clean hydrogen economy by reducing end-to-end clean hydrogen costs to USD $2 per kg by 2030. This represents a tipping point in making clean hydrogen cost competitive with other energy vectors in different industries across production, transportation, storage and end-use. To achieve the goal, Mission members together commit to deliver at least 100 large-scale integrated clean hydrogen valleys worldwide by 2030. These will generate economies of scale, pushing down clean hydrogen costs to catalyse the development of a global clean hydrogen economy." (Source: Clean Hydrogen Mission)
Austria (BMK) is one of the 15 core coalition MI members.
This partnership is part of UNIDO's Global Programme for Green Hydrogen in Industry. It was launched on 6 July 2021 in Vienna at the Vienna Energy Forum.
"The Global Partnership for Hydrogen in Industry aims to accelerate global strategic dialogue and stimulate synergies. It will enhance the exchange, development and distribution of knowledge on policies, technical guidelines and standards. The envisioned Partnership is an ambitious initiative that demands cooperation and coordination across sectors and stakeholders. UNIDO invites different partners and donors to explore and identify areas for collaboration to ensure carbon neutral industries."
The first Hydrogen Energy Ministerial was initiated by Japan in 2018. The ministerials take place once a year and Austria is always actively involved. The fifth ministerial took place in September 2022:
"The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) and the New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO) held the Fifth Hydrogen Energy Ministerial Meeting, in cooperation with the International Energy Agency (IEA), as a part of Tokyo GX week, on September 26, 2022. As the result of the meeting, the chair released the chair's summary for acceleration and enlargement of the Tokyo Statement and the Global Action Agenda, including additional goals on the amount of renewable and low-carbon hydrogen to be produced by 2030 of at least 90Mt H2."
Source: https://www.meti.go.jp/english/press/2022/1007_001.html
Link to the last conference (this initiative does not have its own website): https://hem-2022.nedo.go.jp/_en/
The formation of IPHE was facilitated by the U.S. Department of Energy and the U.S. Department of Transportation in 2003 to foster international cooperation on hydrogen and fuel cell R&D, common codes and standards, and information sharing on infrastructure development. Originally organized as "The International Partnership for the Hydrogen Economy," the organisation changed its official title to "The International Partnership for Hydrogen and Fuel Cells in the Economy" in December 2009 (still abbreviated as IPHE).
IPHE currently has two active Working Groups:
- Education & Outreach (E&O) Working Group
- Regulations, Codes, Standards, & Safety (RCSS) Working Group
and two Task Forces:
- Hydrogen Production Analysis (H2PA)
- Hydrogen Trade Rules (H2TR)
The partnership has 21 member countries, including Austria (AEA on behalf of BMK), and the European Commission is also participating.
Link: https://www.iphe.net/
An activity of the International Renewable Energy Agency IRENA
"The Collaborative Framework serves as an effective vehicle for dialogue, co-operation and coordinated action to accelerate development and deployment of green hydrogen and its derivatives for the global renewable energy transformation. The Collaborative Framework leverages the Agency's work on green hydrogen, the wealth of knowledge and expertise that exists within IRENA's Membership, and the benefits that may be reaped through wider global cooperation with other entities."
Link: https://www.irena.org/collaborativeframeworks/Green-Hydrogen
"Hydrogen Valleys are local market makers for clean hydrogen - Integrated infrastructure projects along the full value chain"
This activity was relaunched in May 2023. It identified 80 Hydrogen Valleys in 30 countries worldwide. WIVA P&G is one of them from Austria.
Link: https://www.h2v.eu/
"Women in Green Hydrogen is a network of passionate women working in the green hydrogen sector. Our vision is to increase the visibility and amplify the voices of women working in green hydrogen. We provide a platform to connect, empower, and change."
Funded by Germany, based in Bonn (managed by GIZ).
Business initiatives
This initiative was founded within the framework of the UNFCCC by "industry first movers" (self-designation).
"Launched in 2020 with the convening support of the UN's High-Level Climate Action Champions and RMI, the Green Hydrogen Catapult is a global initiative whose goal is to drive a massive green hydrogen scale-up by 2026. The Green Hydrogen Catapult's goal is to promote the build out of 45 Gigawatts of green hydrogen capacity by 2026 to decarbonise key parts of the global economy."
"The Hydrogen Council is a global initiative of leading energy, transport and industry companies with a united vision and long-term ambition for hydrogen to foster the energy transition. Launched at the World Economic Forum 2017, in Davos, it is a coalition of CEOs. The Hydrogen Council is made up of nearly 150 Steering Members, Supporting Members and Investor Group Members."
The Council does not have a seat or a fixed secretariat, but a "rotating global secretariat" provided by the respective chair. The Council commissions studies and organises events. From Austria: AVL.