The 2th The Hydrogen for Climate forum held in Montbéliard last November aimed to develop the hydrogen energy vector in an urgent economic, geopolitical and climatic context.
The Hydrogen Business For Climate Forum is organized by the Véhicule du Futur cluster and with the support of the State, the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté region, the Pays de Montbéliard Agglomération and the Belfort/Grand Belfort community. Its purpose is to provide information and ideas to promote the hydrogen energy transition in France and Europe. This second edition brought together 450 experts, companies, public stakeholders, researchers and international stakeholders to co-opt the levers of action essential to the sector and launch future calls for French and European industrialists, politicians and institutions around crucial issues to be identified and challenges to be met: industrialization, sovereignty, import, green hydrogen, production methods, ecosystems, scaling up, regulation, mobility and infrastructure, storage, distribution, training, cost and financing, etc. to bring together projects and innovations in a common development strategy.
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The Hydrogen Business For Climate Forum’s collective of experts has defined the urgent actions to be implemented. The hydrogen transition in France and Europe must accelerate. This is why the Hydrogen Business For Climate Forum has brought together political, institutional, industrial and financial decision-makers in the field of low-carbon and renewable hydrogen technologies. It is launching an urgent call to politicians to:
– Develop coherent planning on a European scale by mobilizing a diversity of hydrogen technologies,
– Urgently harmonize regulatory constraints between European countries,
– Simplify and accelerate decision-making processes for the deployment of hydrogen systems,
– Use administrations (national and European) as examples and relays for hydrogen technologies via targeted purchases favoring a European value chain,
– Promote the use of hydrogen also in rural and deindustrialized areas.
The forum took place around 3 new labs, 5 plenary conferences, 280 pre-organized BtoB meetings and site visits.
Sovereignty and importation ?
The speakers pointed out the cumbersome nature of Europe’s decisions at a time when it is necessary to accelerate the deployment of the sector in order to take on a leadership role. Several regions of the world are making giant strides, led by China and the United States. At the same time, Africa, which hosted COP 27 in Egypt, is getting into gear, seeking to take advantage of its abundant renewable resources and export its production of decarbonized hydrogen to Europe. In this context, the speakers unanimously noted the need to set up infrastructure to connect production sites to consumers. Already, some industrialists are insisting on the importance, based on the model of oil pipelines, of investing in “hydrogen pipelines” to be ready in 2030.
Hydrogen is also developing in the United States, under the effect of the Inflation Reduction Act which has set up a very favorable tax system. It could also come from Chile, the Middle East, Namibia, Morocco, etc. The targeted price per kilo will be between 1.5 and 2.5 euros… and the competition will be tough for Europeans!
Hydrogen Valleys et industrialisation
Another highlight concerned the fifty or so territorial ecosystems that have emerged in France since 2016 under the impetus of ADEME. The forum made it possible to compare this model with the hydrogen “valleys” that are spreading all over the world. The Bourgogne-Franche-Comté region played a pioneering role, in particular by supporting the ecosystems of Dijon, Belfort and Auxerre (fueling station for vehicles, buses and trains). The time has now come for corridors to develop mobility and industry. The watchword: think big, both globally and locally!
The issue of scaling up to industrial scale in Europe for electrolysers and components (batteries and tanks) that will equip the vehicles of tomorrow was addressed. The IPCEI (Important Project of Common European Interest) of Brussels play a catalytic role here. Beyond subsidies, the development of hydrogen in mobility is only just beginning. In addition to heavy mobility (buses, trucks, tractors), considered a real short-term outlet, the automobile industry, initially oriented towards new-generation electric batteries, is now moving towards hydrogen (fuel cells but also hydrogen thermal prototypes). More and more manufacturers are starting to consider hydrogen as an alternative technology. The French manufacturer Hopium, a big star of the last Mondial, has confirmed its confidence in the future.
Industry accounts for 80% of the future market for hydrogen uses, and decarbonization issues concern steel-producing industries, but also the production of fertilizers, cements and chemicals… Here too, the cost of energy will be decisive. However, ” Waiting for subsidies to operate at low prices would risk the disappearance of European industry “, according to Thierry Lepercq, former Engie executive and promoter of a major Franco-Iberian project.
Innovation and acceleration labs
Led by a collective of facilitators and co-designers, these labs each brought together 50 participants with complementary profiles.
– The lab on “mobility and infrastructure” made it possible to collectively define actions that could be easily activated in the short term, but also “game changing actions” and obstacles to overcome.
– The lab on “scaling up” made it possible to take stock of the opportunities, regulations, constraints and feedback, but above all the pitfalls to avoid in order to have a systemic view and identify actions to implement.
– The “decision-makers” lab brought together 25 key participants: presidents, general directors, scientific, institutional and political experts to synthesize the work and define actionable results in the short term. In the context of strong international competition and climate emergency, Europe must give itself.
The 3th edition of the Hydrogen Business For Climate Forum will be held on October 3 and 4, 2023 in Belfort (90).
