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Approved IPCEIs in the Hydrogen value chain

Until today, four IPCEIs in the hydrogen value chain have been launched. The four IPCEIs include 99 companies in 16 Member States and Norway including up to €18,9 billion State aid which is expected to unlock more than €27,1 billion of additional private investment.

First hydrogen IPCEI – IPCEI Hy2Tech (Hydrogen Technology)

On 15 July 2022, the European Commission approved the first IPCEI in the field of hydrogen (Hy2Tech). A total of 35 companies from fifteen member states (Austria, Belgium, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia and Spain) are participating in this project.

The IPCEI will cover a wide part of the hydrogen technology value chain, including (i) the generation of hydrogen, (ii) fuel cells, (iii) storage, transportation and distribution of hydrogen, and (iv) end-user applications, in particular in the mobility sector. It is expected to contribute to the development of important technological breakthroughs, including new highly efficient electrode materials, more performant fuel cells, innovative transport technologies, among which first time roll out hydrogen mobility ones. The IPCEI is expected to create approximately 20.000 direct jobs.

The fifteen Member States will provide up to €5.4 billion in public funding in the coming years, which is expected to unlock an additional €9 billion in private investments. 

Second hydrogen IPCEI – IPCEI Hy2Use (Hydrogen Industry)

On 21 September 2022, the European Commission approved IPCEI Hy2Use as the second IPCEI in the field of hydrogen. A total of 29 companies from thirteen member states (Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Greece, Italy, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Spain and Sweden), and Norway are participating in this project.

IPCEI Hy2Use will cover a wide part of the hydrogen value chain by supporting (i) the construction of hydrogen-related infrastructure, notably large-scale electrolysers and transport infrastructure, for the production, storage and transport of renewable and low-carbon hydrogen; and (ii) the development of innovative and more sustainable technologies for the integration of hydrogen into the industrial processes of multiple sectors, especially those that are more challenging to decarbonise, such as steel, cement and glass. The IPCEI is expected to boost the supply of renewable and low-carbon hydrogen, thereby reducing dependency on the supply of natural gas.

The thirteen Member States will provide up to €5.2 billion in public funding in the coming years, which is expected to unlock an additional €7 billion in private investments. 

Third hydrogen IPCEI – IPCEI Hy2Infra (Hydrogen Infrastructure)

On 15 February 2024, the European Commission approved IPCEI Hy2Infra as the third IPCEI in the field of hydrogen. A total of 32 companies from seven member states (France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal and Slovakia) are participating in this IPCEI with 33 projects.

IPCEI Hy2Infra will cover a wide part of the hydrogen value chain by supporting (i) the deployment of 3.2 GW of large-scale electrolysers to produce renewable hydrogen; (ii) the deployment of new and repurposed hydrogen transmission and distribution pipelines of approximately 2,700 km; (iii) the development of large-scale hydrogen storage facilities with capacity of at least 370 GWh; and (iv) the construction of handling terminals and related port infrastructure for liquid organic hydrogen carriers (’LOHC’) to handle 6,000 tonnes of hydrogen a year. Participants will also collaborate on interoperability and common standards to prevent barriers and facilitate future market integration.

The seven Member States will provide up to €6.9 billion in public funding in the coming years, which is expected to unlock an additional €5.4 billion in private investments, for a total of over €12 billion. 

Fourth hydrogen IPCEI – IPCEI Hy2Move (Hydrogen Mobility)

On 28 May 2024, the European Commission approved IPCEI Hy2Move as the fourth IPCEI in the field of hydrogen. A total of 11 companies from seven member states (Estonia, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Slovakia and Spain) are participating in this IPCEI with 13 projects.

IPCEI Hy2Move will cover a wide part of the hydrogen technology value chain, by supporting the development of a whole set of new technological innovations, including (i) the development of mobility and transport applications to integrate hydrogen technologies in transport means (road, maritime and aviation) including, for example, fuel cell vehicle platforms for use in buses and trucks; (ii) the development of high-performance fuel cell technologies, which use hydrogen to generate electricity with sufficient power to move ships and locomotives; (iii) the development of next generation on-board storage solutions for hydrogen (for the use in aircraft, lightweight, yet robust hydrogen tanks are necessary ensuring safety and efficiency in flight conditions); and (iv) the development of technologies to produce hydrogen for mobility and transport applications, in particular, for supplying hydrogen refuelling stations on-site with pressurised, 99.99% pure fuel-cell-grade hydrogen.The seven Member States will provide up to €1.4 billion in public funding, which is expected to unlock additional €3.3 billion in private investments, for a total over €4,7 billion.