Our hydrogen global governance platform keeps track of the developments across all governments globally and their plans for rolling out the hydrogen roadmap.
Europe
The European Commission has approved a third Important Project of Common European Interest (‘IPCEI’) to support the roll-out of hydrogen infrastructure on the continent. This IPCEI is expected to boost the supply of renewable hydrogen, reducing dependency on natural gas and helping achieve the objectives of the European Green Deal and the REPowerEU Plan.
The project, called IPCEI Hy2Infra, was prepared and notified by France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal and Slovakia. The Member States will provide up to €6.9 billion in public funding to unlock €5.4 billion in private investment. As part of this IPCEI, 32 companies with activities in one or more Member States, including small and medium-sized enterprises (‘SMEs’), will participate in 33 projects.
Hy2Infra will support:
• The deployment of 3.2 GW of large-scale electrolysers to produce renewable hydrogen.
• The deployment of approximately 2,700 km of new and repurposed hydrogen transmission and distribution pipelines.
• The development of large-scale hydrogen storage facilities with capacity of at least 370 GWh.
• The construction of handling terminals and related port infrastructure for liquid organic hydrogen carriers to handle 6,000 tonnes of hydrogen a year.
France is set to implement an ambitious green hydrogen roadmap, as outlined in a draft update of its national hydrogen strategy. By 2030, the country aims to establish 6.5 GW of “low-carbon electrolytic hydrogen” production capacity, with plans to further increase this to 10 GW by 2035. To support these efforts, the government has pledged to invest nearly €9 billion by 2030 towards the deployment of decarbonised hydrogen. This strategy underscores France’s commitment to advancing renewable energy solutions and accelerating the transition to a sustainable and low-carbon economy.
In the UK, recent government updates highlight significant strides in advancing hydrogen, particularly with the selection of 11 projects in the first Electrolytic Hydrogen Allocation Round, which are poised to receive private capital investments totalling £413 million between 2024 and 2026. These initiatives aim to create around 760 direct jobs, aligning with the nation’s target of delivering up to 10 GW of low-carbon hydrogen production capacity by 2030.
Switzerland‘s lack of a national hydrogen strategy, coupled with an absence of alignment with European hydrogen transport efforts, poses risks to its innovative reputation. With a hydrogen strategy not expected until the second half of 2024 and minimal specific regulations in place, local players and authorities have expressed concern over regulatory delays, highlighting the need for swift action.
In Ireland, recent policy updates include a 2 GW target for offshore wind development by 2030, specifically aimed at facilitating renewable hydrogen production. This target not only provides investors with certainty but also lays the foundation for scaling up the hydrogen sector. Additionally, the National Hydrogen Strategy aligns long-term ambitions with 21 short-term actions, focusing on kickstarting and scaling up renewable hydrogen production, identifying end-use sectors and required quantities, assessing infrastructure needs, enforcing safety and sustainability regulations, and fostering technological advancement and innovation.
Germany‘s updated hydrogen policies aim to accelerate market growth by doubling the target for domestic green hydrogen electrolyser capacity to 10 GW by 2030, emphasising the nation’s ambition to become a leading supplier for hydrogen technologies. Notably, direct financial support for hydrogen production is exclusively designated for green hydrogen, underlining Germany’s commitment to sustainable and environmentally friendly hydrogen production methods. These measures align with Germany’s broader strategy to foster innovation, drive economic growth and achieve carbon neutrality targets. The German government is also to transfer more than €3.5 billion to a green hydrogen purchasing programme, H2Global, to fund further subsidy auctions for renewable H2 and its derivatives this year. The Hydrogen Intermediary Network Company, which uses the funds it receives to auction subsidies for green hydrogen imported into the EU, received a grant notification of €3.53 billion from the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action.
In the US, the government’s Hydrogen Strategy and Roadmap are closely aligned with ambitious environmental goals, including plans to establish more than 3 GW of electrolyser manufacturing capacity by 2028. With a budget allocation of $9.5 billion and targets to produce increasing amounts of clean hydrogen over the coming decades, the strategy anticipates significant job growth and private sector investment, positioning the US as a leader in the global hydrogen landscape.
The updated UAE National Hydrogen Strategy 2050 aims to position the country as a major producer and supplier of low-emission hydrogen by 2031, with production milestones targeting 1.4 million tons per annum by that year and scaling up to 15 million tons per annum by 2050. Through the strategy’s focus on developing supply chains, establishing hydrogen oases and bolstering investments in research and development, the UAE aims to foster a domestic market, strengthen regional collaboration and enhance investor confidence to support its commitment to environmental sustainability and net zero emissions by 2050.
Chile has reaffirmed its ambitious national green hydrogen strategy as part of aims to become the top destination for green hydrogen investment in Latin America. Chile targets a 5 GW electrolysis capacity by 2025 and aims to become a world leader by 2030, with 25 GW of production.
Argentina aims to produce at least 5 million tons of low-emission hydrogen annually by 2050, with 20% allocated to domestic use for industries such as steel and petrochemicals, and the rest for export. This plan involves installing 30 GW of electrolysis capacity and 55 GW of renewable electricity generation capacity. The strategy also includes establishing production hubs and ports for exporting hydrogen-derived products, with a target cost of $1.4/kg for green hydrogen. Specific goals for 2030 and 2050 focus on market consolidation, technology development, job creation and skills training.
Uruguay has finalised its green hydrogen roadmap, aiming to produce a minimum of 1 GW of hydrogen by 2030 at a cost of $1.20/kg, and surpassing 10 GW by 2040. Officials project that the country’s hydrogen industry, focusing on renewable hydrogen and derivatives, could generate approximately $2 billion in revenue by 2040, primarily through export activities. This roadmap signals Uruguay’s commitment to renewable energy and positions it as a potential leader in the global hydrogen economy.
