The development of hydrogen is in line with the European objective of achieving carbon neutrality by 2050 at national level. Hydrogen is thus becoming a necessary solution for decarbonising sectors where there are no alternative solutions, particularly in very long-distance transport and certain industries.
Very ambitious targets for the development of hydrogen produced by electrolysis have been set at European level in response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022, with the aim of ending dependence on Russian fossil fuels by 2030. At the same time, a regulatory framework has been put in place to reduce EU emissions by 55% by 2030, compared with 1990 levels. This regulatory framework imposes a 42% incorporation rate for renewable hydrogen in the total hydrogen consumed by European industry by 2030, as well as a minimum incorporation rate for transport. In addition, other sectoral texts impose specific incorporation mandates, notably for synthetic paraffin produced from hydrogen in aeronautics.
At the same time, European states have national strategies to create a hydrogen value chain identified as strategic on their territory. With its “plan” launched in 2018 and its hydrogen strategy published in 2020, France is one of the leading countries when it comes to defining the ambition for developing the sector. This was confirmed in 2025. Germany has also adopted its own strategy by giving hydrogen a special place in the integration of renewable energies into its energy mix. The United Kingdom has also put in place ambitious public policies to finance first projects on its territory in order to accelerate the emergence of the sector.