European Business Coalition Presses EU to Lock In Green Hydrogen Quotas Past 2030

Some 170 companies investing in Europe’s energy sector have urged EU leadership to preserve mandatory renewable hydrogen targets beyond 2030, warning that weakening the binding requirements embedded in the RED III directive would destabilise the investment environment the sector has carefully built.

In a joint letter to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, business representatives pointed to concrete evidence of progress: capital investment grew 35% last year, a rise that industry association Hydrogen Europe links directly to the implementation of existing transport targets. The sector has attracted more than €15 billion into hydrogen end-use applications, and over 4 GW of electrolyser capacity is currently under construction.

Signatories say reaching the current 2030 milestones could unlock a further €50–60 billion in investment. Without a shared European commitment, the letter warns, that momentum risks reversing precisely when the first major facilities are entering the implementation stage.

Hydrogen Europe CEO Jorgo Chatzimarkakis cautioned that retreating from the targets now would erode confidence among both European and international investors who aligned capital with the current rules — and that reversing course mid-way amounts to changing the terms of the game after commitments have already been made.

Signatories acknowledged that the regulatory framework may need refinement, but drew a firm line at dismantling mandatory quotas altogether. Industry associations argue that green molecules serve as an indispensable partner to electrification and that a durable demand signal is what makes large-scale capital deployment viable in the first place.

Source: Hydrogen Europe