Open letter of the EU industry calling for optional eligibility of low-carbon hydrogen to the hydrogen targets

Haffner Energy is co-signatory, alongside France Hydrogène and a broad coalition of industrial hydrogen users of a letter calling on the European Union to open an optional eligibility of low-carbon hydrogen to fulfill hydrogen targets for industry and transport, set in the recast Renewable Energy Directive.

Both renewable and low carbon hydrogen are needed to achieve the 2030 climate targets and a carbon neutrality in the European Union by 2050.

The coalition therefore calls on the European Union Council to adopt the November 23rd Czech Presidency’s compromise proposal (REV2) to the Hydrogen and Gas Directive 2021/0425 (COD), which adds an article 8a opening to Member States the optional “possibility to use low-carbon hydrogen and low-carbon fuels in decarbonization objectives”.

The ongoing revision of the Renewable Energy Directive (RED III) will result in ambitious renewable hydrogen incentives for industry and transport with binding targets. In this context, on October 25, 8 Member States called to open, in the Hydrogen and gas directive, an optional eligibility of low-carbon hydrogen to these targets for the industry and the transport sectors. Following the Energy Council of November 24, the Czech Presidency of the European Union added this proposal in its compromise.

It is also crucial for industries switching their process to hydrogen (e.g steel manufacturing, ammonia synthesis) to rely on steady hydrogen supply all along the process. A combination of renewable and low carbon hydrogen can deliver this. Closing the door to low carbon sources would limit the potential of hydrogen and increase the costs of the transition. Finally, the current geopolitical context is a vivid reminder that producing hydrogen in Europe is essential to avoid creating new energy dependencies.

We support the EU’s ambition to become a global hydrogen leader and we are willing to invest. We call on Member States and EU policy makers to:

• Adopt a technology neutral approach, with a level-playing field strictly framed in terms of carbon content, allowing the EU to establish its industrial hydrogen leadership. Free-choice of Member States’ energy mixes and technological neutrality is a key EU principle enshrined in Article 194(2) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the EU.
• Adopt the amendment to the Gas and Hydrogen directive proposed by the Czech Presidency, giving the option for MS to take into account low carbon hydrogen to fulfill binding hydrogen target in industry, and low carbon hydrogen and derivatives to fulfill binding hydrogen target in transport (both set in REDIII).

Signatories:

– EUROFER – Adolfo AIELLO, Deputy Director General
– CERAME-UNIE – Renaud BATIER, Director General
– Fertilizers Europe – Théo PAQUET, Green ammonia officer
– IFIEC – Peter CLAES, President
– CEFIC – Nicola REGA, Energy Director
– France Hydrogène – Philippe BOUCLY, President
– Nuclear Europe – Yves DESBAZEILLE, Director General
– Nuclear Hydrogen Initiative – Elina TEPLINSKY and Carlos LEIPNER, co-leaders
– CEA (Commissariat à l’énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives) – Julie ODDOU, Director for European Affairs
– EDF – Marion LABATUT, Deputy Director for European Affairs
– Arcelor Mittal – Eric NIEDZELA, Vice President Climate Action ArcelorMittal Europe – Chairman ArcelorMittal France
– Vicat – Eric BOURDON, Deputy Director General
– McPhy – Jean-Baptiste LUCAS, CEO
– John Cockerill – Raphaël TILOT, President of John Cockerill Hydrogen
– Genvia – Florence LAMBERT, CEO
– CEZ Group – Daniel MĚSÍC, Deputy Head of Brussels Office
– MVM Hungarian Electricity – Mihály DARIDA, EU Affairs representative
– Elyse Energy – Benoît DECOURT, CEO
– Qairos Energies – Jean FOYER, President
– H2V – Alexis MARTINEZ, CEO
– Verso Energy – Antoine HUARD, General Director
– EODev – Muriel GUIDONI-DEGNAUCOURT, General Secretary
– Haffner Energy – Philippe HAFFNER, CEO
– TVO (Teollisuuden Voima Oyj) – Jarmo TANHUA, CEO & President
– Hycamite TCD Technologies Oy – Matti MALKAMÄKI, Chairman of the Board
– Finnish Energy – Jukka LESKELÄ, CEO
– Czech Hydrogen Technology Platform – Aleš DOUCEK, Chairman of the Board
– Polish Cluster of Hydrogen Technologies – Piotr MAKSYS, Managing Director
– Slovak National Hydrogen Association – Ján WEITERSCHÜTZ, President
– Hungarian Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Association – András TOMPOS, Ph.D., President
– Romanian Association for Hydrogen Energy – Ioan IORDACHE, Executive Director
– France Chimie – Magali SMETS, General Director
– Union Française de l’Electricité (UFE) – Christine GOUBET-MILHAUD, President
– Polish Electricity Association (PKEE) – Wojciech DĄBROWSKI, President of the Management Board
– Société française d’Energie Nucléaire (SFEN) – Valérie FAUDON, Delegate General
– Alliance des minerais, minéraux et métaux (A3M) – Bruno JACQUEMIN, Delegate General
– ICSI, Energy Department (Hydrogen, Fuel Cells etc) – Mrs. Dr. Math Elena CARCADEA, Head of Department
– Hidroelectrica – Bogdan BADEA, President of the Directorate
– Nuclearelectrica – Mr. Cosmin GHITA, CEO
– ROMGAZ – Mr. Razvan POPESCU
– Romanian Association of Electricity Producers – Ms. Silvia VLASCEANU
– Romanian Atomic Forum – Dr. Teodor CHIRICA, President Emeritus
– Romanian National Committee – World Energy Council – Mr. Stefan GHEORGHE, Executive Director General
– Slovak National Union of Employers (NUE) – RNDr. Miroslav Kiraľvarga, MBA, President of NUE
– Air Liquide – Matthieu GIARD, Vice President, Member of the Executive Committee
– International Association of Oil and Gas Producers (IOGP) Europe – François-Régis MOUTON DE LOSTALOT, Regional Director Europe
– YARA – Luc HAUSTERMANS, Head of EU Public Affairs and Industry Relations