Missed opportunity: In the trilogue negotiations on the Renewable Energy Directive RED III, instead of agreeing on a binding, separate hydrogen quota, negotiators only agreed on a combined quota of 5.5 percent for biofuels and synthetic renewable fuels (RFNBOs) for transport. Within that target, however, RFNBOs should be at least 1 percent by 2030. "This has little positive signal effect for the market ramp-up of hydrogen," comments Dr. Carola Kantz, deputy managing director VDMA Power-to-X for Applications.

The negotiations also defined sub-targets for sectors such as transport and industry. In the transport sector, for example, the use of renewable energies should lead to a 14.5 percent reduction in greenhouse gases in addition to the agreed quota. The targets for the industrial sector are much more ambitious: the use of renewable energies is to increase by 1.6 percentage points per year. For the industrial sector, member states must achieve a quota of 42 percent synthetic renewable energy sources (RFNBOs) by 2030 and 60 percent by 2035. The share of renewable energy in total EU energy consumption is to increase to 42.5 percent by 2030.

"Actually, RED III, as one of the key regulations for the market ramp-up of hydrogen, is of significant importance to promote RePowerEU's goals of diversification of energy sources and greater independence from Russian gas. However, for the goal set out in RePowerEU of achieving 20 million tons of hydrogen by 2030, the compromise now announced makes too small a contribution overall. The opportunity for a binding hydrogen quota and for a clear investment stimulus in transport has been missed," explains Kantz.

As soon as the regulation is adopted by the EU member states and the European Parliament, it will come into force. It will then also promote cooperation between EU member states in achieving their national renewable energy targets.

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