Not a current member. Become a member today.

European Commission

Article

COP27: EU forms new partnerships

The European Commission has signed strategic partnerships with three countries at COP27: Namibia, Kazakhstan and Egypt. Key cooperation areas include boosting the rollout of renewable energy generation for hydrogen production, and European investment to finance renewable hydrogen production. Also in Sharm el-Sheikh, German Chancellor Olaf Scholtz announced the first tender process for H2Global will shortly commence, with a further €4 billion to be invested into the pay-for-difference initiative.

Article

Renewable Fertilizers in Europe

In our most recent episode of Ammonia Project Features, we explored the potential for renewable fertilizers in Europe. Birgitte Holder (Yara) explained that renewable hydrogen is low-hanging fruit for decarbonizing food production, but further emissions reduction will come from working across the full value chain: including on the farm itself. Yara’s agreement with agricultural cooperative Lantmannen is part of this wider focus. From a regulatory perspective, Theo Paquet (Fertilizers Europe) showed us there are many regulatory levers to pull to achieve decarbonization goals in the fertilizer sector, and that national food & energy security concerns may accelerate regulatory change in the coming years.

Article

EU policy developments: CBAM & rules for emissions accounting

MEPs have voted to alter the scope of the upcoming Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) to include hydrogen & ammonia, and for the scheme to cover indirect emissions from manufacture. Meanwhile, two Delegated Acts have established a starting point for rules governing the production of alternative fuels from electrolytic hydrogen, including definitions of “fully renewable” hydrogen and a comprehensive emissions accounting calculation. The European Commission will work with key stakeholders to further clarify and improve the new rules.

Article

RePowerEU: supporting the full switch of existing hydrogen production to renewables

The European Commission has announced its latest plan to reduce the EU’s dependence on fossil imports. RePowerEU will encourage a full switch from fossil-based hydrogen to renewable hydrogen, based on the use of carbon contracts for difference. A hydrogen utilisation target of 20 million tonnes per year has also been set, composed of 10 million tonnes from domestic production and 10 million tonnes of imports. Of these imports, the EU has also forecast 4 million tonnes will be in the form of hydrogen-as-ammonia. The new plan marks a significant increase in ambition from the Fit-for-55 package released in July 2021.

Article

Wärtsilä to coordinate EU-funded program for ammonia engine development

Coordinated by Wärtsilä, an R&D group has been provided with €10 million for the Ammonia 2-4 project. The project aims to complete a retrofit for a two-stroke engine vessel by 2025, as well as establishing a laboratory demonstrator for an ammonia-fueled, four-stroke maritime engine.

Article

H2Zero launches at COP26

A group of 28 global organisations (H2Zero) announced significant new pledges to drive the development of the global hydrogen industry at COP26 last week. On the supply side, the pledges add up to 18 million tonnes per year "lower carbon" hydrogen landing in global markets, displacing fossil hydrogen, conventional transport fuel and natural gas for industrial heating applications. On the demand side (including the use of lower carbon hydrogen for fertiliser, chemicals and explosives production), the pledges add up to 1.6 million tonnes. Of particular interest is Yara's pledge to source &/or produce at least 3 million tonnes of reduced carbon ammonia by 2030.

Article

Fit for 55: Tax breaks, border tariffs, and Guarantees of Origin in the EU

Details of the Commission's comprehensive climate legislation package are now public. Relevant highlights include the inclusion of shipping into the EU ETS, a new tier system for fuel taxation and a carbon border adjustment mechanism. Also this week, Hydrogen Europe calls for an overhaul of the existing Guarantee of Origin (GO) system to address current shortcomings in clean hydrogen certification.

Article

Project Alkammonia: Ammonia-fed Alkaline Fuel Cells

Following last year’s field trials of Diverse Energy’s PowerCube technology in Africa (and AFC Energy’s subsequent acquisition of assets from Diverse), an EU-funded project to commercialize ammonia-fed fuel cells for stationary power generation continues to gather momentum under the title “Project Alkammonia".

Article

COP27: EU forms new partnerships

The European Commission has signed strategic partnerships with three countries at COP27: Namibia, Kazakhstan and Egypt. Key cooperation areas include boosting the rollout of renewable energy generation for hydrogen production, and European investment to finance renewable hydrogen production. Also in Sharm el-Sheikh, German Chancellor Olaf Scholtz announced the first tender process for H2Global will shortly commence, with a further €4 billion to be invested into the pay-for-difference initiative.

Article

Renewable Fertilizers in Europe

In our most recent episode of Ammonia Project Features, we explored the potential for renewable fertilizers in Europe. Birgitte Holder (Yara) explained that renewable hydrogen is low-hanging fruit for decarbonizing food production, but further emissions reduction will come from working across the full value chain: including on the farm itself. Yara’s agreement with agricultural cooperative Lantmannen is part of this wider focus. From a regulatory perspective, Theo Paquet (Fertilizers Europe) showed us there are many regulatory levers to pull to achieve decarbonization goals in the fertilizer sector, and that national food & energy security concerns may accelerate regulatory change in the coming years.

Article

EU policy developments: CBAM & rules for emissions accounting

MEPs have voted to alter the scope of the upcoming Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) to include hydrogen & ammonia, and for the scheme to cover indirect emissions from manufacture. Meanwhile, two Delegated Acts have established a starting point for rules governing the production of alternative fuels from electrolytic hydrogen, including definitions of “fully renewable” hydrogen and a comprehensive emissions accounting calculation. The European Commission will work with key stakeholders to further clarify and improve the new rules.

Article

RePowerEU: supporting the full switch of existing hydrogen production to renewables

The European Commission has announced its latest plan to reduce the EU’s dependence on fossil imports. RePowerEU will encourage a full switch from fossil-based hydrogen to renewable hydrogen, based on the use of carbon contracts for difference. A hydrogen utilisation target of 20 million tonnes per year has also been set, composed of 10 million tonnes from domestic production and 10 million tonnes of imports. Of these imports, the EU has also forecast 4 million tonnes will be in the form of hydrogen-as-ammonia. The new plan marks a significant increase in ambition from the Fit-for-55 package released in July 2021.

Article

Wärtsilä to coordinate EU-funded program for ammonia engine development

Coordinated by Wärtsilä, an R&D group has been provided with €10 million for the Ammonia 2-4 project. The project aims to complete a retrofit for a two-stroke engine vessel by 2025, as well as establishing a laboratory demonstrator for an ammonia-fueled, four-stroke maritime engine.

Article

H2Zero launches at COP26

A group of 28 global organisations (H2Zero) announced significant new pledges to drive the development of the global hydrogen industry at COP26 last week. On the supply side, the pledges add up to 18 million tonnes per year "lower carbon" hydrogen landing in global markets, displacing fossil hydrogen, conventional transport fuel and natural gas for industrial heating applications. On the demand side (including the use of lower carbon hydrogen for fertiliser, chemicals and explosives production), the pledges add up to 1.6 million tonnes. Of particular interest is Yara's pledge to source &/or produce at least 3 million tonnes of reduced carbon ammonia by 2030.

Article

Fit for 55: Tax breaks, border tariffs, and Guarantees of Origin in the EU

Details of the Commission's comprehensive climate legislation package are now public. Relevant highlights include the inclusion of shipping into the EU ETS, a new tier system for fuel taxation and a carbon border adjustment mechanism. Also this week, Hydrogen Europe calls for an overhaul of the existing Guarantee of Origin (GO) system to address current shortcomings in clean hydrogen certification.

Article

Project Alkammonia: Ammonia-fed Alkaline Fuel Cells

Following last year’s field trials of Diverse Energy’s PowerCube technology in Africa (and AFC Energy’s subsequent acquisition of assets from Diverse), an EU-funded project to commercialize ammonia-fed fuel cells for stationary power generation continues to gather momentum under the title “Project Alkammonia".