EC greenlights EUR 5.2bn in state aid for H2 IPCEIs

Image source: HH2E AG.

The European Commission (EC) on Wednesday approved up to EUR 5.2 billion (USD 5.1bn) in state aid to support renewable and low-carbon hydrogen IPCEIs.

IPCEI Hy2Use, as the 35 Important Projects of Common European Interest are collectively called, will get public funding extended by 13 member states to focus on building large-scale electrolysers and hydrogen transport infrastructure and on developing innovative solutions for the integration of hydrogen into the hard-to-abate industrial sectors. The state funds are expected to mobilise additional EUR 7 billion in private investments, the EC said.

The latest funding follows IPCEI Hy2Tech approved in mid-July that covered different hydrogen technology fields.

The new wave of proposals were submitted by 29 companies, among them electric utilities and energy majors such as Ørsted A/S, Repsol SA, TotalEnergies SE, Iberdrola and EDP - Energias de Portugal, hydrogen fuel company Everfuel, industrial gas group Air Liquide, Greek cement producer Titan and others.

The member states awarding the aid are: Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Greece, Italy, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Spain and Sweden.

Norway, not an EU member but part of the European Economic Area, contributed two projects to IPCEI Hy2Use. Its state aid is assessed by the EFTA Surveillance Authority.

The EC expects some of the electrolysers to start operations by 2024-2026. The overall IPCEI Hy2Use is planned to be finalised in 2036.

(EUR 1.0 = USD 0.987)