23/11/2023 (Agence Europe) – On Thursday 23 November, the European Commission launched the first auction of the European Hydrogen Bank, designed to support the production of renewable hydrogen in Europe. With an initial budget of €800 million, taken from revenues from the Emissions Trading System (ETS) and centralised by the Innovation Fund, this initiative aims to close the cost gap between renewable hydrogen production and its current market price. Producers can apply for support in the form of a fixed premium per kilogram of hydrogen produced, in addition to market revenues for up to 10 years. Once signed, projects must start producing renewable hydrogen within five years. The aim of this pilot auction is to contribute to the ‘REPowerEU’ plan, which aims to produce 10 million tonnes of European hydrogen by 2030. Applications are open until 8 February 2024. (NP)