European Commission presents rules for green hydrogen

The European Commission has presented rules for the production of renewable hydrogen. “Clear regulations and a reliable certification system are crucial for this emerging market to develop and establish itself in Europe,” said EU Energy Commissioner Kadri Simson on Monday.

It is disputed that with its specifications the European Commission wants to make it possible under certain circumstances to produce hydrogen using electricity from nuclear energy. France had campaigned for this. To move away from fossil energy, the EU wants to produce 10 million tons of renewable hydrogen by 2030 and import the same amount.

The opposition came from the federal government. The clear position of the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Policy is that nuclear energy is not renewable energy and that hydrogen produced from nuclear energy is not green hydrogen, according to a spokesperson. Germany enters the debate with this position. MEP Michael Bloss (Greens) spoke of “label fraud”. It is a scandal that the Commission wants to describe hydrogen from nuclear energy as ‘green’.

In concrete terms, the European Commission specified, among other things, the conditions under which hydrogen or hydrogen-based fuels are considered renewable. In addition, the government stipulated that plants that produce hydrogen must be connected to new plants that generate electricity from renewable sources. This should help to increase the amount of renewable energy on the grid and prevent electricity generation from coming under pressure.

Because the electricity demand for the production of hydrogen will increase sharply, Monday’s so-called delegated law also stipulates that renewable hydrogen may only be produced at times and places where sufficient renewable energy is available. The rules are being introduced in phases and will become stricter over time. A transitional period should ensure that the number of electrolysers increases. The criteria should apply to both domestic producers and importers from third countries.

In a second legislative text, the European Commission specified a method to calculate, among other things, the greenhouse gas emissions of hydrogen. This includes emissions related to purchasing electricity from the grid or transporting it to the end user. The EU countries and the European Parliament now have two months to scrutinize the legal acts and then accept or reject them. Changes are not possible. (sda/awp/dpa)