The European Hydrogen Bank’s second auction for the production of renewable hydrogen has attracted 61 bids from projects in 11 countries with the European Economic Area (EEA) . Eight of the bids were submitted under the dedicated maritime topic by hydrogen producers with off-takers in the maritime sector.

The total grant support requested is more than €4.8 billion, four times the available budget of €1.2 billion provided by the Innovation Fund. All bids taken together account for a total electrolyser capacity of around 6.3 Gigawatts (GWe). Over ten years, these projects would produce more than 7.3 million tonnes of renewable hydrogen. On a yearly basis, this would cover 7% of the EU’s REPowerEU ambition for domestic renewable hydrogen production in 2030.

Wopke Hoekstra, Commissioner for Climate, Net Zero and Clean Growth, said: “The amount of bids in this second auction under the European Hydrogen Bank again shows the attractiveness of the Innovation Fund as a tool for Europe’s industrial decarbonisation and competitiveness. This continued appetite from our industry reinforces the development of a European market for clean hydrogen. As a key driver of our goal to achieve climate neutrality by 2050, hydrogen plays a crucial role in cutting emissions from hard-to-abate sectors. It will strengthen Europe’s industrial leadership in emerging clean technologies, ensuring long-term economic resilience and global competitiveness.”