The European Union’s strategy to boost the production of hydrogen risks locking Europe into burning fossil gas for generations, the European Environmental Bureau (EEB) said this week.

The European Commission unveiled yesterday its strategy to upscale hydrogen – a fuel that, if produced sustainably using renewable electricity, can become a strong ally in the race to climate neutrality.

The strategy would raise over €200 billion in investments to boost the technology and infrastructure needed to produce, store, and transport renewable hydrogen.  A significant amount of funds will also come from the EU’s post-coronavirus recovery plan, which is currently being finalised.

Priority will be given to hard-to-decarbonise sectors such as the steel and cement industry and shipping and aviation, the Commission said.

However, the proposal also foresees fresh investments to boost the production of hydrogen made from fossil fuels. Most worryingly, the Commission estimates that fossil gas will still account for 15% of Europe’s energy mix in 2050 – the year the EU is meant to go climate-neutral.

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