As Europe looks to reduce its dependency on Russian energy, a German-led initiative has identified the most pressing research and innovation challenges to setting up a European green hydrogen economy.
The strategic agenda lists the challenges and priorities for areas such as production, transport and infrastructure, and market stimulation. It also calls for a joint platform where member states and the European Commission could coordinate initiatives.
The plan is a pilot initiative of the new European Research Area, announced back in 2020 during the German presidency of the EU Council of member states. It will feed into a conference on green hydrogen in May. “The Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda is to serve as a nucleus on the way towards a European Hydrogen Union,” said Bettina Stark-Watzinger, Germany’s research minister.
Europe has been touting green hydrogen as a key ingredient of its decarbonisation strategy in sectors such as heavy duty transport, aviation, and steelmaking.
