The EU is currently facing a number of major challenges, not least caused by the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The war has clearly exposed Europe's supply vulnerabilities due to its dependence on, among other things, Russian gas, and the need for the green transition has thus acquired a serious security policy dimension. This is what the Hydrogen Industry writes in a press release.
- Europe is currently facing several crises, and they must all be resolved simultaneously. Ukraine must be supported so that they can win the war, and the transition must be stepped up so that we can curb climate change and detach ourselves from fossil, Russian energy. In addition, the EU is under massive, unfair competitive pressure, especially on the green industries from the USA and to a large extent China. It is crucial that we keep the green industries on European – and Danish – soil, so that we have ownership of the critical supply chains that must effectively make us independent. If we do not hold on, we risk sending the industrialization of 30 years of research and development efforts to China, says Tejs Laustsen Jensen, director of the Hydrogen Industry, and emphasizes the importance of concrete implementation of existing initiatives:
- Fortunately, a long series of decisions have been made that will get us well on our way in the right direction. And there is reason to praise Ursula von der Leyen's announcement that the 90 percent reduction target should be written into the EU's climate law. There is a fundamental need for recognition that the green agenda will equip the EU for future competition – not the other way around. The effort for the transition must not give way to other competitive considerations, because the EU's green ambitions are the locomotive that will drive both climate, business and security development forward.
The goals must be reaffirmed
The director is not dissatisfied with the goals that have already been set for the future, but at the same time calls for something to be done.
- Now it is first and foremost about cementing the EU's green ambitions by confirming the climate and energy goals that were set in the previous period. And then it is about ambitious implementation of, among other things, the Green Deal and NZIA. These agreements create the framework for a green, strong and independent Europe, but there is much, especially in the industrial area, that needs to be implemented. For hydrogen and PtX specifically, this requires, among other things, new investments via the EU's hydrogen bank, says Tejs Laustsen Jensen.
If development is not accelerated, there is a risk that the EU will be overtaken by a competitor with an advantage.
- In the hydrogen and PtX area, the pressure and the distorted competition from China are very clearly felt. With massive state support behind them, Chinese companies can deliver electrolysis technology at unrealistically low prices. The Danish and European hydrogen companies obviously cannot compete with what is actually the Chinese state. Therefore, we must strengthen the common European industrial policy so that we can resist external pressure and ensure European ownership of the critical green supply chains. This will not only create major climate results but also independence, new jobs and green growth across the continent, says the director of the Hydrogen Industry.
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