At their plenary session on Wednesday 19 May, MEPs adopted the own-initiative report by Jens Geier (S&D, Germany) on the European Union’s hydrogen strategy (411 votes in favour, 135 against and 149 abstentions). While the European Parliament stresses the need to increase renewable energy production in order to develop renewable hydrogen, it also recognises a role for low-carbon hydrogen as a transition technology in the short and medium term, much to the dismay of the Greens/EFA and The Left groups.
The latter had indeed tabled amendments aimed at excluding from the text any positive mention of low-carbon hydrogen—hydrogen produced from natural gas with CO2 capture and storage technologies or thanks to electricity from nuclear power—in order to concentrate European funds solely on investments in renewable hydrogen.
But their amendments, as well as those of the other political groups (except one), were all rejected. According to our information, the Greens/EFA and The Left voted largely against the report.
The report finally adopted is therefore very similar to the version approved by the Parliament’s Committee on Industry, Research and Energy (ITRE) (see EUROPE 12684/6).
In particular, MEPs call on the Commission to estimate “how much low-carbon hydrogen will be needed for decarbonisation purposes until renewable hydrogen can play this role alone, in which cases, and for how long”.
They also call on the institution, Member States and industry “to ramp up additional renewable electricity capacity in order to avoid a counterproductive competition between electrolysers for the production of hydrogen and other direct uses of renewable electricity” (additionality principle).
In terms of relevant sectors, the report states that hydrogen can be used “in industrial and chemical processes; in air, maritime, and heavy-duty road transport; and in heating applications”.
Integration of energy systems
On the same day, the Parliament also adopted, by a large majority (542 votes in favour, 111 against and 42 abstentions), the own-initiative report by Christophe Grudler (Renew Europe, France) on the Union’s strategy for the integration of energy systems (see EUROPE 12523/2).
There were no significant changes to the version of the report adopted in the ITRE Committee (see EUROPE 12684/7), as all but one of the amendments tabled were rejected.
The report sets out measures to optimise, decarbonise and balance energy systems, with particular emphasis on the Energy Efficiency First principle (see EUROPE 12670/21), the decarbonisation of transport and heating systems, the development of renewable energies, and interconnections between Member States’ electricity networks (see EUROPE 12673/7, 12681/15).
In addition, it says that the priority should be renewable hydrogen, but believes that “renewable and low-carbon hydrogen can help reduce persistent emissions” from sectors such as industry and heavy transport, where direct electrification may be limited. (Original version in French by Damien Genicot)