Europe adopts new regulations in favour of hydrogen

The European Parliament voted to adopt a new directive and a regulation on the gas and hydrogen markets. These texts aim to decarbonise the EU’s energy sector, while improving the production and integration of renewable gases and hydrogen.

The new regulation will enable Member States to limit gas imports from Russia and Belarus, amid conflict in Ukraine. It will also introduce a common gas purchasing system and a pilot project to strengthen the EU’s hydrogen market over a five-year period. In terms of hydrogen, the text also emphasises increased investment in infrastructure, particularly in coal regions, by promoting a transition to sustainable energy sources such as biomethane and low-carbon hydrogen.

The updated regulation will encourage existing natural gas infrastructures to integrate a higher share of hydrogen and renewable gases, by means of tariff discounts. This includes blending in pipes. You can read the full press release on this regulation here.

In addition, the Euractiv news website points out that the planning of hydrogen networks will be overseen by an EU entity: the European Network of Network Operators for Hydrogen (ENNOH). This newly-created body will present a ten-year development plan for the European hydrogen infrastructure in 2026, in collaboration with ENTSO-G, the European Network of Transmission System Operators for Gas.