EXCLUSIVE | ‘EU should postpone strict green hydrogen regulations, but doing so could paralyse the sector’: CEOs
German Vice-Chancellor Robert Habeck has called for a postponement of strict additionality rules for EU green hydrogen projects, garnering support from major European electrolyser manufacturers. However, they caution that reopening the debate on the Delegated Act, which outlines regulations on additionality, time matching, and geographic correlation, could significantly hinder industry progress.
Recent calls by the German Vice-Chancellor Robert Habeck to postpone the introduction of strict additionality rules for EU green hydrogen projects has won the backing of two major European electrolyser makers — but with the caveat that reopening the debate on the controversial Delegated Act could bring industry progress to a grinding halt.
The Delegated Act that introduced strict regulations on additionality, time matching and geographic correlation for renewable hydrogen and its derivatives (see panel below) was signed off by all 27 member states, the European Parliament and the European Commission in 2023, after more than three years of discussions.
But fewer-than-expected final investment decisions on green H2 projects in Europe — largely due to high costs that are exacerbated by the Delegated Act, and a lack of offtakers willing to pay a green premium — led Habeck to a change of heart, and a public call for a seven-year delay
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