Largest European Hydrogen Bank Funding Winner Pulls Out
August 12, 2025
Swedish utility Vattenfall and Danish fund Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners have withdrawn from the European Hydrogen Bank’s second-round subsidies for their 500 MW Zeevonk electrolysis project in the Netherlands, despite winning €246.6 mn. The project cannot meet the EU’s requirement to be operational with a viable offtake market by 2030 due to delays in the Delta-Rhine Corridor hydrogen pipeline, now postponed from 2028 to 2032. The Zeevonk plant, which relies on the pipeline for transport and will be powered by an offshore wind farm, has consequently pushed its commissioning to 2032. Their withdrawal leaves over 25% of the €992 mn second-round allocation unclaimed, and the fate of these funds—whether reallocated or added to a future auction—has not yet been confirmed by the European Commission.
Toyota Motor Europe starts zero tailpipe emissions logistics with fuel cell trucks
19 June 2025
Toyota has deployed hydrogen fuel cell trucks, built by VDL Groep using Toyota fuel cell modules, on logistics routes from its European Parts Centre in Diest, Belgium, to France, Germany, and the Netherlands. The 40-tonne trucks deliver performance comparable to diesel vehicles but produce zero tailpipe emissions, traveling up to 400 km on a single refueling. Toyota, in collaboration with logistics partners Vos Transport Group, CEVA Logistics, Groupe CAT, and Yusen Logistics, will continuously evaluate these trucks in daily operations handling over 500,000 parts and accessories per day. The fuel cell system, which combines hydrogen and oxygen to generate electricity, also offers a vibration-free, quieter drive, enhancing both community comfort and driver experience.
CIP invests in H2APEX’s Lubmin hydrogen project in Germany
Aug 6, 2025
Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners (CIP) has acquired a 70% stake in the first phase of H2APEX Group’s 1-GW hydrogen production project in Lubmin, Germany. The initial 100 MW phase aims to produce up to 10,000 tonnes of hydrogen annually, with offtake already preliminarily secured, and is expected to be completed by 2028. The project will receive €167 million in EU funding under the IPCEI programme, with CIP contributing €15 million toward pre-financing until the final investment decision. Lubmin’s strategic location near the Baltic Sea offers access to offshore wind resources and connectivity to Germany’s planned hydrogen transmission network, supporting long-term expansion to over 1 GW.
https://renewablesnow.com/news/cip-invests-in-h2apexs-lubmin-hydrogen-project-in-germany-1279769
Green light for Scale Green Energy to deploy six hydrogen refuelling stations in Spain
17 July 2025
Enagás’ subsidiary, Scale Green Energy, will receive over €8 million from the EU’s Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) to deploy six renewable hydrogen refuelling stations in Spain as part of the ECOhynet project. Each station will have a daily capacity of 1,000 kg and supply hydrogen at 350 and 700 bar for light and heavy vehicles along the Atlantic and Mediterranean TEN-T corridors. The total project investment exceeds €26.7 million and will establish a coordinated strategy for renewable hydrogen mobility involving multiple value-chain participants. This funding complements €75.8 million previously granted to Enagás for studies on the Spanish Hydrogen Backbone Network and the H2Med corridor, supporting the EU’s broader goals for alternative fuels infrastructure under the ReFuelEU regulation.
https://www.enagas.es/en/press-room/news-room/press-releases/grant-agreement-scale-green-energy
Poland allocates EUR 633m to 6 green hydrogen production projects
Jun 17, 2025
Poland’s Bank Gospodarstwa Krajowego (BGK) has allocated about PLN 2.7 billion (USD 733 m/EUR 633 m) to six renewable hydrogen projects with capacities of at least 20 MW, funded under the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (KPO) to support compliance with RED III targets. The largest subsidy of PLN 1.215 billion went to Orlen Group for its Hydrogen Eagle project, with Lotos Green H2 receiving PLN 523 million. Polenergia’s H2Silesia plant was granted PLN 618 million, Tauron PLN 133 million, Bioagra PLN 128 million, and Promet-Plast PLN 123 million for its Gaj Oławski electrolyser—the first commercial green hydrogen installation in Poland. Support is provided as non-repayable subsidies, up to roughly EUR 2 million per MW, aiming to boost industrial and transport-sector hydrogen use by 2030 and 2035.
Orlen secures 1.7bn zloty for hydrogen projects from EU recovery funds
Jun 17, 2025
Polish state energy company Orlen has secured over 1.7 billion zloty (€400 million) from EU post-pandemic recovery funds to expand its hydrogen projects, including the Green H2 and Hydrogen Eagle initiatives. The funding will support production of renewable and waste-derived hydrogen, development of nine “hydrogen hubs” across Poland, the Czech Republic, and Slovakia, and a network of 111 refuelling stations for buses, trucks, and passenger vehicles. Orlen aims to produce 0.9 GW of hydrogen by 2035 and invest at least €150 million in hydrogen infrastructure, reinforcing regional supply chains. The grants come from Poland’s National Recovery and Resilience Plan, which requires at least 37% of funds to support climate-related projects, and are part of broader EU-backed green transition efforts including energy grid upgrades and low-emission transport.
ACWA Power inks new deals for hydrogen and renewable power export to Europe
July 21, 2025
Saudi green hydrogen developer ACWA Power has signed multiple agreements and MoUs to build a renewable energy and green hydrogen export corridor between Saudi Arabia and Europe. Under the Ministry of Energy’s supervision, ACWA Power partnered with Germany’s EnBW on the first phase of the Yanbu Green Hydrogen Hub, targeting commercial operations by 2030. The integrated hub will include renewable power generation, desalination, hydrogen electrolysis, ammonia conversion, and a dedicated export terminal. Additional multi-party MoUs with European firms—Italy’s Edison and Zhero Europe, France’s TotalEnergies Renewables, and Germany’s EnBW—aim to assess market demand and feasibility for large-scale renewable exports. ACWA Power also signed agreements with CESI, Prysmian, GE Vernova, Siemens Energy, and Hitachi to develop cross-border energy transmission corridors. Earlier partnerships include a “hydrogen bridge” with Germany’s SEFE to supply 200,000 tonnes of green hydrogen annually by 2030, and collaboration with Italy’s Snam to explore investments in a Saudi-to-Europe green hydrogen supply chain.
Air Liquide takes the final investment decision to build ELYgator, a large-scale electrolyzer in the Netherlands
July 23, 2025
Air Liquide takes a major step forward in European decarbonization efforts with the final investment decision to launch the construction of ELYgator, a 200 MW electrolyzer project in Maasvlakte, in the Port of Rotterdam. This project reinforces our leadership in low-carbon hydrogen production and represents a significant advancement in the decarbonization of European industrial needs.
This pivotal decision follows crucial support from the Dutch government through the OWE[1] subsidy scheme, complementing prior support from the European Innovation Fund and the Dutch IPCEI[2] program. Both this continued support as well as the refined regulatory framework were key to the project’s advancement.
As announced in February 2025, Air Liquide will invest more than 500 million euros to build, own and operate the electrolyzer, supplying notably TotalEnergies’ industrial platform through a long term contract. The ELYgator project will produce 23,000 tons of renewable hydrogen annually, serving industrial and heavy-duty mobility customers, reducing up to 300,000 tons of CO₂ emissions per year of operation.
This electrolyzer is a first of its kind integrating both Proton Exchange Membrane and Alkaline technologies on the same site. The project aims to be operational by the end of 2027.
Airbus and MTU Aero Engines advance on hydrogen fuel cell technology for aviation
18 June 2025
Airbus and MTU Aero Engines have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to jointly advance hydrogen fuel cell propulsion for aviation, a key technology for decarbonising flight. Announced at the 55th Paris Airshow, the partnership leverages Airbus’ ZEROe hydrogen aircraft research and MTU’s Flying Fuel Cell expertise. The collaboration follows a three-step roadmap: first, maturing essential engine technologies through joint research; second, aligning R&T roadmaps on hydrogen systems; and third, potentially developing a fuel-cell engine for commercial hydrogen-powered aircraft. Airbus’ Bruno Fichefeux highlighted the partnership’s role in accelerating critical technology, while MTU’s Stefan Weber emphasized its potential to enable virtually emissions-free flight, combining expertise in propulsion and platform integration to pioneer sustainable aviation.