Challenges and Recommendations for Europe's Green Hydrogen Ambitions

The European Court of Auditors has highlighted the challenges faced by the European Union in achieving significant progress in green hydrogen production. The EU's targets for 2030, particularly in terms of import and production, have been deemed overly ambitious, potentially leading to new dependencies on third countries.

The auditor emphasized the need for a reality check on the EU's industrial policy regarding renewable hydrogen and urged the European Commission to set more tangible and achievable goals. While Germany has made strides in planning new hydrogen projects, the overall success in green hydrogen production across the EU has been labeled as modest.

The report underscores the importance of revising strategies and setting feasible targets to avoid missing crucial milestones in the transition to green hydrogen. Criticisms were also directed at the politically-driven nature of the 2030 hydrogen targets, emphasizing the necessity of updating the EU's Hydrogen Strategy with more realistic goals based on market incentives and efficient allocation of funding.