Czechia urges EU to rethink hydrogen production rules

In Czechia, Euroactiv reported that Czech officials are calling on the European Commission to revisit its hydrogen production rules, arguing that the current framework is based on unrealistic expectations and it limits the growth of hydrogen development in the country. The Czech Hydrogen Technology Platform (HYTEP), an industrial expert coalition dedicated to advancing hydrogen technologies, has warned in a recent policy paper that the EU’s stringent rules were set on overly optimistic assumptions, expecting rapid deployment of hydrogen technologies that have not yet materialized. The same argument was expressed by the Czech Industry and Trade Ministry, according to the report. “Two years ago, the rules approved for renewable hydrogen production were set too strictly and expected mass deployment of hydrogen technology by now. However, this is not happening and can only be expected in the next decade,” said Veronika Vohlídková, HYTEP’s executive director. The report also noted that HYTEP’s analysis points to three major barriers: limited renewable electricity availability, low capacity factors due to stringent production rules, and high capital costs for electrolyzers. The Czech hydrogen stakeholders call for a more flexible framework that lets electrolyzers run at higher capacity – meaning they can operate more continuously and efficiently. They also want the current transitional measures to be extended, giving the hydrogen sector a longer period to mature before stricter rules take full effect, it added.

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