The European Commission approved this Friday a major pan-European project to promote the development of hydrogen technologies, involving Portugal and 14 other member states, which will be able to provide up to 5.4 billion euros.
This unprecedentedly important project of common European interest (“IPCEI”) in the field of hydrogen, called “IPCEI Hy2Tech”, was jointly prepared and notified by 15 Member States – Germany, Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Slovakia, Spain, Estonia, Finland, France. , Greece, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal and the Czech Republic – with 41 different projects involving 35 companies operating in one or more countries of the bloc.
The green light given by the Commission this Friday under EU state aid rules allows participating member states to provide up to €5.4bn of public funding, which Brussels says should unlock an additional €8.8bn in the form of financing. private investment.
The Commission notes that “further information on the amount of assistance to individual participants will be available in the public version of the Commission’s decision after the Commission reaches an agreement with Member States and third parties regarding any confidential trade secrets that should not be disclosed.” , but already ahead, in relation to Portugal, the participation of 1s1 Energy in projects of hydrogen production technologies and fuel cell technologies.
Brussels emphasizes that the approval of this project “is part of the Commission’s broader efforts to support the development of an innovative and sustainable European hydrogen industry”, which is especially important now, given the EU’s goals for decarbonization and energy autonomy.
According to the community leader, this IPCEI “will cover most of the hydrogen value chain, including hydrogen production, fuel cells, hydrogen storage, transport and distribution, and end-user applications, particularly in the mobility sector.”
“It is expected to drive important technological advances, including new high-performance electrode materials, more efficient fuel cells, and innovative transportation technologies, among which hydrogen mobility technologies stand out for the first time,” the Commission continues, adding an estimate that all of these projects will create “about 20,000 direct jobs.”
“Hydrogen has huge potential for the future. It is an indispensable component for the diversification of energy sources and the ecological transition. However, investing in innovative technologies can be risky for a Member State or an individual company. This is where the state aid rules for IPCEI have a role to play. The project presented this Friday is an example of a truly ambitious European collaboration towards a fundamental common goal,” commented Margrethe Vestager, Executive Vice President in charge of the competition.
For his part, Commissioner for the Internal Market Thierry Breton stressed that “promoting the development and deployment of hydrogen will boost jobs and growth across Europe”, contributing to the EU’s environment and sustainability agenda, as well as ensuring a “clean transition of energy-intensive industries” . and increased independence from fossil fuels.
“Through this IPCEI, we are seeing the evolution of hydrogen production in the EU from laboratory to industry and our industry, which will turn technological excellence into commercial leadership. It is clear that we are not just supporting hydrogen through funding. We have also made decisive progress in building partnerships through the Clean Hydrogen Alliance and we are developing EU-wide rules to make the hydrogen market viable and create dedicated infrastructure. Because we know what is at stake: Europe’s position as a leading region in the industrial transformation of hydrogen.” he added.
Author: Lusa
Source: CM Jornal
