Hydrogen in the Strategies of the European Union Member States

Energy and environmental challenges are two key issues related to the sustainable development of the Earth. Fossil fuels (oil, coal, and natural gas) still supply more than 85% of world energy consumption. Several nations around the globe are striving to provide access to clean and sustainable energy by 2030 (Hostettler et al. 2015). When the Paris Agreement entered into force in 2016, many countries have recently announced serious commitments to significantly reduce their carbon dioxide emissions, promising to achieve “net zero” by 2050. he main goal is to limit global warming to well below 2 degrees Celsius, preferably to 1.5 degrees Celsius, compared to pre-industrial levels (IEA 2021). his requires a total transformation of the energy systems that underpin our economies. In the case of renewable energy technology deployment, hydrogen may provide a complementary solution, due to its flexibility as an energy carrier and storage medium. The European Union (EU), a signatory to the Paris Agreement demonstrated interest in hydrogen as an invaluable raw material in considerably reducing CO2 emissions. Hydrogen inthe EU energy mix is estimated to increase from the current level (less than 2%) to 13–14% in 2050 (EC 2018).