Germany names three Danish hydrogen bank winners

Spanish Market: Hydrogen
01/06/26

Germany will support 78,000 t/yr of Danish renewable hydrogen production across three projects with over €1bn from its allocation to the third European Hydrogen Bank round.

Developers Everfuel, European Energy and Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners (CIP) have been selected to proceed towards final grant agreements under Germany's auctions-as-a-service (AAAS) contribution, the German economy and energy ministry (BMWE) said on 29 May.

The three projects will receive around €1.01bn between them over a 10-year subsidy period (see table). They will together provide roughly 590MW of electrolysis capacity. Developers could expand capacity beyond the supported volumes in future.

CIP's Host PtX project in Esbjerg is set to receive over half of the support, with around €539mn. CIP was successful with a €1.70/kg bid for Host PtX's first phase of 240MW.

Everfuel and European Energy submitted lower bids and could each receive over €200mn.

The projects must feed output into a planned Danish hydrogen pipeline for exports into Germany. First deliveries are due in 2031, BMWE said.

BMWE said the Danish projects could produce renewable hydrogen at lower cost than in many other regions. This is primarily because renewables could make up over 90pc of Denmark's electricity mix by 2030. This would exempt companies from key criteria under the EU's definition of renewable fuels of non-biological origin, enabling higher electrolyser utilisation rates.

The three German-backed projects add to two Danish projects by MorGen and Hy2Gen Nordic that were successful in the EU-wide competition with lower bids. MorGen and Hy2Gen are due to receive roughly €563mn between them for combined production of 59,000 t/yr.

Germany's funding allocation is below the €1.3bn Berlin had earmarked for its AAAS contribution, as two other Danish projects were unsuccessful. The next-lowest Danish bid after CIP's submission came in at close to €1.80/kg for over 20,000 t/yr, European Commission data show.

An allocation of around €360mn on top of the roughly €1bn for the first three projects would have exceeded the €1.3bn budget and could not be made under hydrogen bank rules.

The two additional bids mean other projects could still benefit from German funding if any of the selected companies drop out during grant agreement negotiations. Final grant agreements are expected to be signed by October, BMWE said.

This would give firms time to book transport capacity on the planned Danish pipeline for delivery into Germany's future core hydrogen network, as an ongoing capacity sale is open until December.

The Danish government's approval for the pipeline and subsidies for its construction are contingent on shippers booking at least 500MW of capacity in each year from 2031-40. This equates to roughly 130,000 t/yr based on hydrogen's lower heating value, below the 137,000 t/yr that the five projects selected by the EU and Germany could supply.

Everfuel said it plans to book capacity in December, but noted that "certain commercial and regulatory conditions" must be "clarified and adjusted".

Germany's funding allocation is "the biggest single event that has ever happened to the Danish hydrogen industry", industry association Hydrogen Denmark said. The support brings final investment decisions for the production plants and the planned hydrogen pipeline "significantly closer", the group said.

By Stefan Krumpelmann

Successful Danish H2 bank bids
Project	Developer	Location	Electrolysis capacity MW	Production t/yr	Bid €/kg	Subsidy €mn

EU-wide competition
Njordkraft	MorGen	Esbjerg	300	45,000	0.95	423
Albatros	Hy2Gen Nordic	Kasso	100	14,000	0.97	140
German AAAS
Frigg	Everfuel	Vejen	200	21,000	0.98	245
Heimdal	European Energy	Kasso	150	25,000	1.07	228
Host PtX	CIP	Esbjerg	240	32,000	1.70	539
— BMWE, European Commission, company announcements, Argus calculations

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04/06/26

EU finance ministers eye agreement on CBAM changes

Brussels, 4 June (Argus) — EU finance ministers are seeking agreement on their position for legal changes to the bloc's carbon border adjustment mechanism (CBAM), extending the scope to more downstream products and adding anti-circumvention measures. Final tweaks and clarifications specify the European Commission's power to suspend CBAM for problematic sectors. The text drawn up for finance ministers, who meet on 12 June, takes account of a majority that has spoken out against giving the commission broad empowerment to temporarily remove specific goods from CBAM under a new article 27a. Diplomats noted the risks of "jeopardising" the effectiveness of CBAM and the "imprecise" scope of the powers. To bridge differences, Cyprus, chairing discussions between diplomats, has built on a previous draft to specify the conditions that the commission could use to trigger CBAM suspension. This includes average non-CBAM-related import price increases of more than 50pc compared with average prices for the same CBAM goods over the previous 10 years. Price increases would need to be sustained over a period of at least six months. If finance ministers agree on the text on 12 June, EU states would be ready for negotiations over a final legal draft with the European Parliament after summer. Cypriot diplomats suggested article 27a remains in the European Council's draft position as a "good basis" for the talks. During a first discussion, members of parliament's environment committee broadly supported deleting the new article 27a. But some members have called for partial or full CBAM suspension . The committee is expected to vote on the issue on 6 July, followed by the whole parliament in early September. Discussions on CBAM's suspension have continued following the commission's adoption last month of a fertilizer action plan, including measures such as financial relief for farmers, and assessing stockpiling options for key fertilizers and inputs. By Dafydd ab Iago Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2026. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

Refineries can drive South Korean green H2 use: Acwa

29/05/26

Refineries can drive South Korean green H2 use: Acwa

Hamburg, 29 May (Argus) — Refineries could become a main anchor for renewable hydrogen demand in South Korea, as adoption for power generation has become more uncertain, Saudi Arabian project developer Acwa said. South Korea's primary focus in recent years for use of imported clean hydrogen and ammonia has been on power generation. Changes to long-term power supply and energy security planning have altered this , but Acwa sees offtake opportunities in other sectors. "We are really trying to encourage the authorities to expand the scope beyond power generation," the firm's head of green hydrogen business development, Driss Berraho, told Argus on the sidelines of the World Hydrogen Summit in Rotterdam last week. Refineries could provide "a good avenue to initiate the market" and to "create baseload large-scale demand with limited impact on the end consumer," he said. Renewable hydrogen adoption in refineries could help scale the sector and develop infrastructure that would eventually bring down overall supply costs, Berraho said. This could support future hydrogen or ammonia use for power generation at more affordable prices, he said. In Europe, refineries are already the main demand source for renewable hydrogen. Fossil-based hydrogen can be replaced with few technical modifications, and higher costs can be spread across all fuel consumers at the pump. The EU has doubled down on this through consumption targets under its revised Renewable Energy Directive (RED III). South Korea has made plans to decarbonise refineries, but specific quotas for renewable hydrogen use and penalties are yet to be set, Berraho said. Still, Acwa has "observed that refiners are getting ready" and are "doing the groundwork to understand supply chains," he said. Acwa generally remains "convinced of the long-term potential" of northeast Asian markets, Berraho said, pointing to encouraging signs from Japan including results of a recent zero-emissions power capacity auction . Asian firms remain interested in co-investing in Saudi projects, Acwa's advisor to the chairman, Marco Arcelli, said in Rotterdam . European focus For now, Acwa sees Europe as the main offtake market, especially because of the RED III targets. German utility EnBW has joined Acwa's Saudi Yanbu project , which could produce more than 2mn t/yr of ammonia, as a partner and potential key offtaker. Acwa is also engaged in offtake conversations with other firms, including Germany's Sefe , Arcelli said. The company expects to finalise binding offtake deals for Yanbu by the end of this year or in early 2027, paving the way for a final investment decision (FID), Berraho said. On the project development side, everything should be lined up for a FID later this year, he said. Front-end engineering design work is ongoing and Acwa this week received pre-certification for Yanbu's compliance with the EU's definition of renewable fuels of non-biological origin. Outside of Saudi Arabia, where Acwa is also developing the Neom project , most plans are less advanced. Acwa is planning large renewable ammonia plants in Morocco and in Egypt , but these are in much earlier development stages, Arcelli said. In Indonesia, Acwa has teamed up with domestic firms PT PLN and Pupuk to make renewable ammonia for domestic fertilizer production. But the plans are "progressing very slowly," Arcelli said, noting that Indonesia has ample potential but that the "general framework" for development of hydrogen projects differs considerably between countries. Acwa had hoped the project "could go much faster because it would really position Indonesia as the leader in the Asia-Pacific region outside of China," Arcelli said. The company operates a 20MW electrolysis plant in Uzbekistan that supplies renewable ammonia for domestic fertilizer production. This gives Acwa "the credibility that we can fully develop green hydrogen projects on our own," Arcelli said. Another larger plant in Uzbekistan is still on the cards, but this will depend on demand and learnings from the operational project, he said. Uzbekistan stands out for renewable hydrogen and ammonia in central Asia as it has a "very unique combination of factors," Berraho said, including ample renewables potential and a very strong industrial base across refining, chemicals and heavy industry. Discussions on energy security feature strongly in the country, he said. By Stefan Krumpelmann Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2026. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

Netherlands sees no role for new CCS-based H2 plants

28/05/26

Netherlands sees no role for new CCS-based H2 plants

Hamburg, 28 May (Argus) — The Netherlands sees no role for new plants producing blue hydrogen from natural gas with carbon capture and storage (CCS) and will instead focus support on CCS retrofits and other forms of low-carbon hydrogen, the government has said. New CCS-based hydrogen plants would increase the Netherlands' natural gas demand and reliance on imports, minister for climate and green growth Stientje van Veldhoven-van der Meer said. This runs counter to the country's aim to cut gas use and import dependence, she said. For non-renewable low-carbon hydrogen use in industry, the government will instead focus on decarbonising residual gases and existing grey hydrogen production through carbon capture, as well as hydrogen from residual waste. Such projects can benefit from direct policy support, for example under the SDE++ scheme , van Veldhoven-van der Meer said. Some initiatives are already under way. Norwegian fertilizer producer Yara plans to capture carbon at its Sluiskil ammonia plant in the Netherlands, while German utility RWE aims to produce hydrogen from waste at its Furec project. Van Veldhoven-van der Meer also pointed to "uncertainties surrounding market developments, costs and demand for additional low-carbon hydrogen". The previous government last year decided against dedicated support for new CCS-based hydrogen plants because of "lagging large-scale domestic demand", as EU hydrogen consumption targets for transport and industry focus on renewable hydrogen. A domestic scheme to provide offtake for CCS-based hydrogen in gas-fired power plants has been abandoned. In early 2025, the previous government proposed a blending obligation for low-carbon fuels in gas-fired plants, starting at 1pc by 2030 and rising to 5pc by 2035, supported by subsidies with €780mn initially earmarked. But the mandate and subsidy plans have been cancelled, van Veldhoven-van der Meer said. Earlier this decade, the Netherlands promoted CCS-based hydrogen as a key part of its transition to cleaner fuels and feedstock, and numerous developers announced projects. But several initiatives have since been shelved, including the 210,000 t/yr H2M Eemshaven project, which Norway's state-controlled Equinor called off earlier this year because of "policy uncertainty and lack of funding". By Stefan Krumpelmann Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2026. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

Egypt, Morocco H2 plans await stronger demand signals

21/05/26

Egypt, Morocco H2 plans await stronger demand signals

Rotterdam, 21 May (Argus) — Morocco and Egypt have been among north Africa's most prominent countries for renewable hydrogen and derivatives production, but with the majority of announced projects at early development stages market participants say stronger demand signals will be required for plans to move forward. High capital costs are often cited as a constraint for project developers setting their sights on emerging markets. But a lack of demand — rather than financing availability — is the primary barrier to project development in Morocco and Egypt, according to a report from the Green Hydrogen Organisation (GH2). While financial institutions have shown interest in funding projects, the "absence of revenue certainty remains the central issue" to make projects bankable, GH2 programme officer Simran Sinha said during an event on the sidelines of the World Hydrogen Summit in Rotterdam this week. GH2 spoke with 23 industry stakeholders in the two countries and "demand uncertainty always came first" when they listed their challenges, Sinha said. Morocco has taken steps to support developers. The government and the Moroccan Agency for Sustainable Energy (Masen) are facilitating access to land, infrastructure, governance frameworks and contracting pathways under its Moroccan offer launched in 2024 targeting large-scale hydrogen projects. Six projects are currently included, five of which remain at pre-FEED stage — but missing demand is stalling development, said Masen executive director Nawfal El Fadil. Clear and stable standards are also required, El Fadil said. Certification systems must be internationally aligned and remain consistent over a project's lifetime to support bankability. If conditions need to be adapted during the lifecycle of a project, it will not be bankable, he said. Egypt faces similar constraints. The country has established a regulatory framework, industry strategy, incentives and international agreements to support hydrogen development, according to Egyptian Petrochemicals Holding Company chairman Alaa El-Din Abdel Fattah. A contract awarded in 2024 under the H2Global programme to Fertiglobe for renewable ammonia exports from Egypt demonstrates the country's competitiveness, he said. But further demand signals are needed to move additional projects forward. Alongside demand uncertainty, gaps remain in financing tools and certification clarity, Fattah said. Stakeholders have proposed some measures to address these barriers. Because many projects in Egypt and Morocco target exports to Europe, bankability depends not only on domestic policy frameworks, but also on clear demand through mandates, subsidies or mechanisms such as carbon pricing in importing centres, GH2 said. Concessional and blended finance — special types of financing available for projects in developing countries — can help improve financing terms as project mature towards bankability; but these mechanisms alone are not enough to make projects bankable in early development stages when developers need to do feasibility studies and asses risk, GH2 said. Risk-sharing mechanisms could also support project progress. Developers currently bear a disproportionate share of early-stage project risk, which delays financing. "Financing is available, but it tends to enter too late, as no actor is willing or mandated to take the first risk," GH2 said. Further measures such as foreign exchange risk mitigation tools, contracts for difference (CfD) and more investments in common user infrastructure could also support investment, OECD's industry programme lead Deger Saygin said. By Pamela Machado Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2026. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

Methanol projects dominate Australia H2 subsidy scheme

13/05/26

Methanol projects dominate Australia H2 subsidy scheme

Sydney, 13 May (Argus) — The Australian Renewable Energy Agency (Arena) has announced a shortlist of projects for the second round of its Hydrogen Headstart subsidy scheme, with methanol facilities making up four of the seven. The shortlisted projects must submit full applications by early September, Arena said on 13 May, to win part of the A$1bn ($723.7mn) in funding available, which was reduced by A$1bn in last night's federal budget . Arena's selections represent 2,180MW of capacity, compared with the 3,394MW in the first round's shortlist . Four of the projects plan to manufacture methanol, the largest being the Bell Bay Powerfuels project in Tasmania state, which is aiming for first output in 2029 . Perdaman's 750MW Project Helios will connect to the company's 2.3mn t/yr Project Ceres urea plant in the Pilbara region of Western Australia. The firm started constructing its 30MW solar farm in March. Helios is expected to reduce Perdaman's carbon emissions by 43,800t of CO2 equivalent (tCO2e)/yr. Australian low-carbon fuels firm HAMR Energy's Portland Renewable Fuels Project was also on the list. The developer of the 220MW project received South Australia state government backing for a 140mn litres/yr sustainable aviation fuels (SAF) plant in March. Applications for the shortlist opened in October last year and follows consultations last year , after the first round of the scheme failed to award the full A$2bn initially offered, instead awarding the 900,000 t/yr Murchison Green Hydrogen project and the 4,700 t/yr Hunter Valley Hydrogen Hub with A$814mn and A$432mn, respectively, in 2025. Murchison has been shortlisted for its stage 1B, add a further 500MW of subsidised output to the initial stage meaning a total of 1.5GW capacity, while 3GW of electrolysis is ultimately planned for the project. The Headstart production credit pays the manufacturer per unit of production over a 10-year period of operations, to help bridge the gap between cost of making renewable hydrogen and market prices. By Tom Major and Susannah Cornford Hydrogen Headstart round 2 projects Applicant Project Title Electrolyser capacity (MW) State Hydrogen End Use Bell Bay Powerfuels Bell Bay Powerfuels 300 Tasmania Methanol European Energy Australia South East Queensland Power-to-X Project 150 Queensland Methanol HAMR Energy Portland Renewable Fuels Project 220 Victoria Methanol and SAF HIF Asia Pacific HIF Tasmania e-Fuel Facility 140 Tasmania Methanol Murchison Hydrogen Renewables Murchison Green Hydrogen Project Stage 1B 500 Western Australia Ammonia Perdaman Commercial Developments Perdaman Helios (Karratha): Decarbonising Fertilisers 750 Western Australia Urea Summit Hydro Gladstone Green Hydrogen Project 120 Queensland Alumina Source: Arena Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2026. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

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