02 Mar 2023
Joint declaration to support investments in hydrogen value chain signed
On 1 March 2023, the European Commission and key stakeholders from hydrogen industry and research signed a joint declaration to increase the competitiveness of the EU renewable hydrogen industry. The declaration aims to encourage continuous investment in research and innovation, promote collaboration between funding resources, knowledge sharing, education, and skills training. Additionally, it calls for the development of regional hydrogen networks and interconnections among Hydrogen Valleys.
A “Hydrogen Valley” is a geographical area – a city, a region, an island or an industrial cluster - where several hydrogen applications are combined together into an integrated hydrogen ecosystem that consumes a significant amount of hydrogen, improving the economics behind the project. It should ideally cover the entire hydrogen value chain: production, storage, distribution and final use. With the REPowerEU plan, the Commission has allocated an additional EUR 200 million to the Clean Hydrogen Partnership to accelerate the deployment of Hydrogen Valleys in the EU. EUR 4 million under ERASMUS+ have been put aside to select 19 core jobs for the hydrogen industry and define the requirements for their curricula. To further strengthen the skills agenda, the Clean Hydrogen Partnership will support a European Hydrogen Academy.