Run!
The world is hurting with COVID19 and the economic downturn, and many people have lost loved ones and livelihoods. It’s imperative to fight the disease and get our economies back on track. Around Earth Day in April 2020, IPSOS carried out a global survey and found that 2/3 of the global population views the climate crisis as a problem at least as big as COVID19 and would want their governments to consider climate change as part of any stimulus package. No wonder that #BuildBackBetter has been trending on social media. Many governments received the message, Including the European Union and several European member states. The European Commission, the executive branch of the Union has made the European Green Deal a centerpiece of the economic reconstruction. An important part of that Deal is a European Hydrogen Strategy that will be released on 8 July this year.
Worley, through its membership of Hydrogen Europe and Dii Desert Energy has contributed to the 2x40 GW Electrolyzer Initiative, which was submitted to the European Commission for consideration earlier this year. The aim of that Initiative is to have 40 GW electrolyzer capacity inside the European Union and an additional 40 GW electrolyzer capacity in North Africa and Ukraine by 2030. These electrolyzers will produce green hydrogen from renewable electricity and will contribute to a decarbonized energy system in Europe. Last week, a draft version of Europe’s Hydrogen Strategy was leaked, and provided a sneak preview of things to come. It was very encouraging to see that the document referred to our Initiative. Not only was there a reference to our document, the declared aim will be 40 GW capacity by 2030, but there is also recognition of the need for substantial imports of hydrogen from neighboring regions. In addition, the European Hydrogen Strategy lays out a framework for funding to make all this happen, with details to be elaborated in the months to come.
With such public sector support, it’s now up to the European hydrogen industry to pick up the ball and run!
It's amazing to see the joint initiative 2X40 GW by Hydrogen Europe and Dii in the European Hydrogen Strategy. The German government is already starting to look at project ideas for EUR 2bn earmarked on international cooperation for green hydrogen. We need to indeed run run run to keep the momentum and come to implementation!
Independent Economist
4 年Nice to see,but what will the EU do specifically to promote green hydrogen production in North Africa? Something concrete or the usual style of empty rhetoric when it comes to EU-North Africa relations? Let’s hope we don’t have a repeat of the useless Mediterranean Solar Plan that achieved nothing. Will the current economic crisis around the Mediterranean make Europe a bit serious this time, out of mutual self-interest?
Ex-SVP for Worley in UAE, Oman, Iraq and NA. Energy Business Leader | Projects, Energy Sector, Decarbonization, blue/green hydrogen, CCUS
4 年Great progress!