The European Commission has selected 15 renewable hydrogen production projects for EUR 992 million in funding under the second auction of the European Hydrogen Bank. The projects, located in five European Economic Area countries, are expected to generate nearly 2.2 million tonnes of renewable hydrogen over 10 years, helping avoid over 15 million tonnes of CO₂ emissions.

Funded through the EU Emissions Trading System’s Innovation Fund, the grants aim to bridge the cost gap between renewable and conventional hydrogen, accelerating deployment in hard-to-decarbonise sectors such as transport, chemicals, methanol, and ammonia production. Twelve projects will receive fixed premiums ranging from EUR 0.20 to EUR 0.60 per kilogram of hydrogen. For the first time, three maritime-linked projects were awarded EUR 96.7 million in total under a dedicated budget line.

In parallel, Spain, Lithuania, and Austria will allocate up to EUR 836 million in national funding to additional projects using the EU’s ‘Auctions-as-a-Service’ platform. Grant agreements with the European Climate, Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency (CINEA) are expected by September/October 2025.

A third auction is planned for the end of 2025 with a budget of up to EUR 1 billion. The Commission will also soon launch the Hydrogen Mechanism to connect producers and consumers through an EU-wide online platform.