Hydrogen bank : a coalition of national hydrogen associations to call for setting electrolyser sourcing pre-qualification criteria

National hydrogen associations warmly welcome the renewed ambition carried by the European Commission on electrolytic hydrogen development, with the confirmation of a 2nd Hydrogen Bank auction.

It is now time to bring Hydrogen Bank into line with the Green Deal Industrial Plan objectives, and especially Net Zero Industry Act. While electrolyzer gigafactories strategically funded by the IPCEI are gradually being commissioned, we have all the assets to make of hydrogen a central lever for EU strategic autonomy, and for the creation of skilled and nonrelocatable employment.

Now, these gigafactories must find initial markets for achieving economies of scale and building a sustainable competitiveness in the fierce global competition.

Therefore, when it comes to the electrolyzers used for projects bidding at the Hydrogen Bank, we, national voices of the rising EU hydrogen industry, firmly call for setting a Resilience prequalification criteria as proposed by Hydrogen Europe, complemented by prequalification criteria on social aspects, cybersecurity, as well as safety and performance standards. These criteria are legitimate and fall far short of what would be achieved by applying trade reciprocity with our partners.