Abstract:

The accelerating impacts of climate change demand substantial economic shifts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and achieve carbon-neutrality in the coming years. Hydrogen has recently emerged as a promising alternative to traditional fossil fuels, as it offers value in energy distribution and storage, and can reduce carbon dioxide emissions when used as a fuel. The EU Research & Innovation Framework Programmes have dedicated more than EUR 2.9 billion towards hydrogen development since 2007, supporting near 800 projects targeting all areas of the hydrogen value-chain.

The scope of the funded projects is wide: production of green hydrogen from electrolysers powered by renewable energy sources, development of local hydrogen ecosystems (called hydrogen valleys, where hydrogen production directly serves local industries), distribution and storage of hydrogen across Europe via already-existing and new infrastructures, and adoption of hydrogen in hard-to-decarbonise sectors to reduce emissions. Funding from the R&I programmes has focused primarily on mobility, with more than EUR 1.8 billion targeting aviation, road, rail, and maritime transport via hydrogen fuel cells since 2007.

Joint Undertakings contribute significantly to hydrogen research & development in Europe, especially the Clean Hydrogen and Clean Aviation Joint Undertakings, which were set up as institutionalised partnerships between the public and private sectors. Joint Undertakings have managed and allocated more than half of the hydrogen funding from the R&I programmes since 2007.

Research towards hydrogen technologies has increased more than ever, with more than EUR 800 million spent on projects starting in 2023 alone. The R&I programmes, among various other instruments set by the European Commission to help the development of hydrogen technologies, play a crucial role in achieving the EU’s ambitious targets to drastically reduce carbon dioxide emissions in the coming years.