Detailed regulations for renewable hydrogen in the EU are presented

The European Commission has put forward two delegated acts that contain detailed provisions defining what renewable hydrogen is. These documents, are part of a broad hydrogen regulatory framework that includes energy infrastructure investment and state aid rules, as well as legislative targets for renewable hydrogen for industry and the transportation sector.

The first delegated act specifies the conditions under which hydrogen, hydrogen fuels or other energy carriers can be considered renewable fuels of non-biological origin. It clarified the principle of “additionality” of hydrogen, as defined in the EU Renewable Energy Directive. The rule aims to increase renewable hydrogen production and increase the amount of renewable energy available to the grid.

The second of the delegated acts outlines a method for calculating life-cycle greenhouse gas emissions from non-biological renewable fuels. The method takes into account emissions over the entire life cycle of fuels, so in the extraction segment, those associated with drawing electricity from the grid, from processing, and those associated with transporting fuels to the end consumer. The methodology also explains how to calculate greenhouse gas emissions from renewable hydrogen or its derivatives when it is produced at a fossil fuel plant.

It is worth mentioning that the above delegated acts are directly related to the hydrogen strategy adopted by the EC in 2020, setting out a vision for the creation of a European hydrogen ecosystem (from research and innovation to production and infrastructure), as well as the development of international standards and markets. Hydrogen, according to the REPowerEU plan, is one of the alternatives to fossil fuels.