Hydrogen
Overview
Hydrogen is an increasingly important piece in the decarbonisation puzzle. Industrial players are seeking ways to take carbon emissions out of their hydrogen production processes, while green hydrogen producers see the gas as a viable outright alternative to hydrocarbons.
Future production routes range from methane reformation with carbon capture to pyrolysis, waste gasification and electrolysis, powered by renewable energy or fossil fuels. Combinations of processes and energy being used to produce hydrogen presents existing users of industrial heat and key chemicals a challenging landscape to navigate.
The Argus Hydrogen and Future Fuels service has been designed to provide industrial power, chemicals and energy users with crucial information to help them make well informed decisions. It covers the upstream for projects, midstream for transportation and storage, and downstream for ammonia and methanol. It also covers the latest technological developments and policy news on hydrogen from across the globe.
Latest hydrogen news
Browse the latest market moving news on the global hydrogen industry.
EU member states want blue H2 for RED III targets
EU member states want blue H2 for RED III targets
Brussels, 26 February (Argus) — Belgium, backed by France, Italy, Poland and several other EU member states, wants the European Commission to review implementation of the bloc's latest Renewable Energy Directive (RED III) to support greater uptake of low-carbon hydrogen. RED III obliges EU member states to ensure that renewable fuels of non-biological origin (RFNBOs) make up at least 42pc of the hydrogen used in industry by 2030, and 60pc by 2035. "Current application of RED III, with its highly ambitious targets, is difficult to achieve for member states with limited renewable resources," said Belgian economy minister Laurent Hublet. "Importing green hydrogen is not yet economically viable — not only in Belgium, but throughout Europe," Hublet added. In Belgium's non-paper — also supported by the Czech Republic, Hungary, Romania and Slovakia — the government argues that low-carbon hydrogen should also count towards these obligations, not only RFNBOs. It says blue hydrogen, produced from natural gas with carbon capture and utilisation or storage (CCUS), can be made domestically in a more cost-effective and technologically mature way while still "significantly" reducing emissions. Without adjustments, Belgium said, the current interpretation of the RFNBO share under RED III could lead to "significant delays or cancellation" of projects based on steam-methane reforming and autothermal reforming with CCUS. Other member states backed Belgium's approach. "We fully agree with Belgium on the need for a pragmatic strategy regarding low-emission hydrogen under RED III," said Italian enterprise minister Adolfo Urso, calling for a gradual transition to decarbonising Europe's energy-intensive industries while preserving competitiveness and supporting the hydrogen value chain. France took a similar line. "Hydrogen targets cannot solely be based around renewable hydrogen. Doing so penalises — or even blocks — many projects at a time when the sector is entering a critical phase," said French deputy industry minister Sebastien Martin. The European Commission struck a balancing tone. "The challenge now is to strike the right balance between climate ambition, industrial feasibility and supply security," said EU industry commissioner Stephane Sejourne. "We have shifted from a green to a clean [deal], and you can count on me to apply this principle of technological neutrality to all upcoming legislation," he added. Sejourne is expected to present delayed proposals on low-carbon and made-in-Europe public procurement and state support rules on 4 March, including measures for green steel and green technologies such as electrolysers. The commission has committed, in its 2026 work programme, to reviewing the Renewable Energy Directive in the third quarter of this year. By Dafydd ab Iago Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2026. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
Germany passes law to speed up H2 permitting
Germany passes law to speed up H2 permitting
Hamburg, 26 February (Argus) — Germany's lower house of parliament, the Bundestag, has passed the "hydrogen acceleration law" that is intended to speed up infrastructure build-out. The Bundestag voted in favour of the law on 26 February, including some additions put forward by its economy and energy committee. The text designates hydrogen production plants, pipelines, import and storage facilities and dedicated electricity transmission lines as being of "overriding public interest". This gives such infrastructure priority in cases of conflict with other rules, for instance those related to environmental disputes or building regulations. Facilities will also benefit from shorter permitting deadlines, partly enabled by increased digitalisation. Germany's government had put forward the text in late 2025 . The Bundestag's economy and energy committee added a clause to also include projects for production of hydrogen from natural gas with carbon capture and storage (CCS). The law has been several years in the making, having first been proposed by the previous government before its successor pushed it ahead with some changes. By Stefan Krumpelmann Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2026. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
EU consults on state aid, including for hydrogen, CCS
EU consults on state aid, including for hydrogen, CCS
Brussels, 25 February (Argus) — The European Commission is consulting on updated rules to assess whether EU states have properly followed the bloc's state aid laws. The commission aims to adopt the rules, which also lay out conditions for state aid for climate mitigation, before the current ones expire on 31 December 2026. The "more streamlined" rules, proposed under the EU's general block exemption regulation (GBER), also aim to exempt certain state aid from prior notification and commission approval. For climate aid, under €30mn ($35mn) per firm and per project will be exempt from EU notification and approval. But the rule does not apply to aid for investments in equipment or machinery using fossil fuels including natural gas. For state aid to investments for hydrogen and hydrogen-derived fuels, the aided fuels must be either renewable fuels of non-biological origin or low-carbon fuels as defined by EU law. And investment in carbon capture and storage (CCS) or use (CCU) has to be for a complete CCS and/or CCU chain. Aid intensities shall not normally exceed 5pc of costs for decarbonising existing installations. But higher aid intensities of up to 60pc for hydrogen, or 45pc for energy storage and CCS, are allowed for investments, notably if cutting greenhouse gas emissions of a technical unit by at least 90pc. The consultation runs until 23 April. By Dafydd ab Iago Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2026. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
Germany to include CCS-based H2 in 'acceleration law'
Germany to include CCS-based H2 in 'acceleration law'
Hamburg, 25 February (Argus) — German projects for production of hydrogen from natural gas with carbon capture and storage (CCS) are set to benefit from faster permitting under the "hydrogen acceleration law" that could be passed on 26 February. Germany's lower house of parliament, the Bundestag, will vote on the law on 26 February — the final step before it could enter into force. The Bundestag's economy and energy committee has made some additions to the government's text from late 2025 . These include a clause that would add CCS-based hydrogen production projects to the infrastructure covered by the law. Only electrolytic hydrogen production and production from biogenic waste was covered in the government's version. The committee also proposed to add import infrastructure for power-to-liquid fuels, such as synthetic aviation fuels (e-SAF) to the list of eligible infrastructure. The government's text covered only import terminals for hydrogen, ammonia, methanol and liquid organic hydrogen carriers. Infrastructure covered by the text will be designated as being of "overriding public interest". This status gives them priority in cases of conflict with other rules, for instance those related to environmental disputes or building regulations. Facilities will also benefit from shorter permitting deadlines, partly enabled by increased digitalisation. Besides production plants and import terminals, the law also covers storage sites, pipelines and dedicated electricity transmission assets. Germany's coalition of conservative CDU/CSU and social-democratic SPD has repeatedly stressed a willingness to also support CCS-based hydrogen, in addition to renewable hydrogen. By Stefan Krumpelmann Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2026. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
Spotlight content
Browse the latest thought leadership produced by our global team of experts.
Argus Korea Commodities Insights Episode 2
South Korea’s energy transition accelerates with nuclear‑powered hydrogen, coal phaseout efforts, shifting fuel imports, and growing ESS momentum in early 2026.
Global Hydrogen Outlook 2026
Blog - 21/11/25Why Europe is sleepwalking to SAF failure
Explore our hydrogen and related products
Real time access to trusted cost benchmarks, critical market data and analytics, in-depth analysis, and the latest market news. Argus Hydrogen and Future Fuels service is relied upon by intensive users of energy, governments, banks, regulators, exchanges and many other organisations as source of reliable and unique insights into the global hydrogen sector.
