This year’s Hydrogen Week, and its Innovation-driven Forum, have been an extraordinary opportunity to reflect on our journey toward a sustainable and decarbonized future. The European Hydrogen Week provides a unique platform to showcase cutting-edge achievements, honour groundbreaking innovations, and reaffirm our shared commitment to a clean, hydrogen-powered Europe.
As we gathered in Brussels on 18-21 November, we celebrated not only the progress we have made but also the collective ambition driving us forward, our vision of progress and unity. By fostering collaboration across industry, research institutions, and policymakers, the Clean Hydrogen Partnership has created an integrated ecosystem to advance hydrogen technologies. The Innovation Forum complemented harmoniously the High-level Policy conference and demonstrated our mission to connect stakeholders, both from public and private, and address the critical challenges ahead. From scaling technologies to strengthening synergies with member states and regions, our efforts have been instrumental in achieving tangible progress.
This week, we delved into every aspect of the hydrogen value chain, from production and distribution to sustainability and Hydrogen Valleys. More importantly so, we honoured our role in accelerating hydrogen innovation, scaling deployment, and building a resilient value chain across Europe.
I am deeply convinced that Europe can build a competitive hydrogen value chain to decarbonize many sectors and ensure its technological and industrial autonomy. To achieve this, we can rely on unique strengths: an advanced research network, ambitious public policies, and a robust industrial infrastructure. Supporting research and innovation remains essential, among other things, to boost the production of clean hydrogen and to reduce the currently high costs of this technology.
As we continue to push the boundaries of hydrogen innovation, it is vital to acknowledge our achievements. Recognizing and honouring these breakthroughs not only inspires future advancements but also underscores the critical role of collaboration in driving meaningful change. A highlight of the Hydrogen Week has been the Clean Hydrogen Awards ceremony, where we recognized exceptional achievements that exemplify the spirit of innovation and collaboration.
The Clean Hydrogen Awards recognized exceptional achievements that exemplify the spirit of collaboration and innovation
This year’s winners illustrate the transformative potential of hydrogen across industries and regions. Whether through innovations like those demonstrated by FCH2Rail, which offers scalable solutions for retrofitting diesel trains to run on hydrogen, groundbreaking hydrogen valley projects like TRIĒRĒS Valley in Greece, and Emsland in Germany, which serve as a model for regional transformation, or versatile solutions like EVERYWH2ERE, with its portable hydrogen-powered generators, we are proving that hydrogen is not just an alternative—it is the cornerstone of a sustainable energy future.
As we celebrate these milestones, we look ahead to the challenges and opportunities on the horizon. Our roadmap is ambitious and brave: achieving climate neutrality requires innovation and resilience at every level. Synergies between regional, national, and European stakeholders will be critical to scaling solutions and meeting our shared goals. To this purpose, the Clean Hydrogen Partnership is expanding its efforts with co-operation agreements with several Member States, that ensure that funding and expertise are optimized to create a robust and mutually beneficial ecosystem. During the European Hydrogen week six memoranda were signed with the regions of Castilla y León (Spain), North-Holland (The Netherlands), Košice Region (Slovakia) and Wielkopolska (Poland), as well as with the Médio Tejo Intermunicipal Community (Portugal) and the National Managing Authority from Slovenia.
This collaborative model is essential in navigating the energy transition.
Moreover, the Clean Hydrogen Partnership will contribute to the objectives of the Net-Zero Industry Act by continuing to support the scale-up of hydrogen technologies and by increasing the competitiveness of the hydrogen industry in Europe.
Our efforts will also continue supporting the REPowerEU Plan, which aims to double the number of Hydrogen Valleys in the EU by 2025. the Clean Hydrogen JU has supported up to date 16 hydrogen valleys projects across 15 European countries, with a total funding from the JU of close to €200 million. Together they represent an investment of more than €1 billion, for more than 200 MW electrolysers capacity and expected to produce more than 21,000 tons of hydrogen per year. 6 additional valleys will be funded this year adding a yearly capacity production of 10 000 t. of hydrogen.
The accomplishments we celebrated during the Hydrogen Week are a testament to the power of partnership and innovation. They inspire confidence in the journey ahead. However, achieving Europe’s ambitious climate and energy goals requires continued dedication and investment. As we move forward, let us build on these successes with renewed energy and ensure that the Clean Hydrogen Partnership remains at the forefront of global efforts to decarbonize and innovate.
Even more, many of our stakeholders and partners rightly stated that the scale of investment and action needed to reach our targets is much bigger. As our new Chair of the Governing Board, Danica Maljković said: “we must focus the investments where they matter most. We must promote cutting edge innovations and envision Europe as a clean, self-sustained energy hub, a continent of affordable H2 energy.”
As we seize the opportunities ahead, let us lead the way toward a hydrogen-powered Europe.