fight for hydrogen energy and the new renewable directive
The debate over hydrogen energy, particularly when produced from nuclear power, has only just begun within the framework of a proposed renewal of the renewable energy directive. This comes after France and eight other eastern European countries asked for changes, while seven member states, led by Germany and Spain, chose to push back. They wrote to the European Commission this Thursday, declining to be bound by the terms already negotiated by the Twenty-Seven. Their concern is that including certain forms of hydrogen could dampen ambition, slow the deployment of renewables, and jeopardize the climate goals set out in the Paris Agreement.
Their position remains clear on low-carbon hydrogen produced from nuclear energy and on non-biological renewable fuels: they should not be promoted through the directive that intends to bolster renewable energy use. They argue that tying these fuels to the 2030 energy targets would reduce ambition and slow the rollout of renewable energy, potentially imperiling climate targets, including those of the Paris Agreement. The letter, shared with El Periódico by the Prensa Ibérica group, reiterates this stance.
The correspondence was addressed to Vice President Frans Timmermans and Energy Commissioner Kadri Simson and was signed by Teresa Ribera, the Vice President and Minister for Ecological Transition, along with colleagues from Austria, Denmark, Germany, Ireland, Luxembourg, and Portugal. Their message is straightforward: the 2030 global targets should not count low-carbon fuels or hydrogen in the way some propose. They also oppose linking low-carbon fuels to any sectoral targets under Article 8a of the Gas Directive.
counterattack against France and the east
Facing this push from Paris and the eastern bloc, the seven countries have decided to press their position vigorously. They describe the dispute as a turning point for the decade ahead. In a coordinated response, they argue that renewable electricity and hydrogen decarbonisation will be the main drivers for curbing global warming and achieving climate neutrality. They emphasize that it is possible to install additional renewable capacity in the short term at relatively competitive costs. This is their answer to a February letter from France and eight Eastern European countries—Poland, Slovenia, Romania, Bulgaria, Slovakia, Croatia, Hungary, and the Czech Republic—which urged including low-carbon hydrogen, including nuclear-derived hydrogen, within the directive’s targets. The opposite view considers pink hydrogen or so-called nuclear hydrogen as part of the debate over the new renewable energy framework.
They insist that in the coming decade new renewable energy capacity will not replace other low-carbon energy sources yet to be fully decarbonized in industry and transport across member states. Instead, renewables will supplement these sectors as they evolve. They challenge the claim that the directive would limit national energy choices or lock in a single energy mix for all countries. In their view, counting low-carbon energy among renewable targets could blunt climate efforts and slow the addition of much-needed renewable capacity.
The seven signatories also remind readers that the renewable energy directive does not prohibit or directly prevent member states from using other low-carbon fuels and hydrogen. They acknowledge that some EU countries may opt to decarbonize their economies in different ways. They argue that choosing renewables remains essential for climate neutrality and energy security. They also criticise attempts to include nuclear hydrogen within the gas-related regulatory framework, noting persistent controversy around that approach.