In a joint letter published on Tuesday 2 April, a number of environmental organisations, industry representatives and think tanks have called on the European Commission to adopt a “robust definition” for low-carbon hydrogen in the upcoming delegated act pursuant to Article 8 of the new gas package directive (see EUROPE 13302/7), which aims to promote the uptake of hydrogen and low-carbon gases in the EU.
The signatories say they are “deeply concerned” by calls to adopt a “quick” low-carbon hydrogen definition and believe it must be properly regulated, “for not all forms of hydrogen are equivalent”.
They therefore believe that a robust definition is needed to provide market players with investment certainty, ensure a true level playing field with renewable hydrogen and guarantee that low-carbon hydrogen contributes effectively to climate mitigation efforts.
For the signatories, the delegated act must include, among other clauses and specificities, a definition of hydrogen made with electricity from the grid, nuclear power, fossil fuels, but also hydrogen derived from renewable electricity that is only partially compliant with the delegated act on renewable fuels of non-biological origin (‘RFNBOs’) (see EUROPE 13202/35).
“Defining the latter is crucial to enable optimal utilisation of electrolysers and minimise the production cost of renewable hydrogen”, they said.
To read the joint letter: https://aeur.eu/f/blk (Original version in French by Pauline Denys)