Recent developments
EU policy signals
The European Commission advanced measures to cut fossil dependence and support affordability, including the Clean Energy Investment Strategy with over €75 billion from the EIB Group in three years. It outlined first Small Modular Reactors by the early 2030s and proposed raising the CEF Energy budget to €29.91 billion for 2028–2034, alongside a potential €200 million InvestEU top-up. Regional supply security remained in focus, with Azerbaijan’s gas deliveries via the Southern Gas Corridor supporting European demand.
Infrastructure and security
Network build-out progressed. Gasunie reported completion of the hydrogen network in the Rotterdam port area and progress on CO2 transport and storage, alongside €1.2 billion invested in 2025 across security and transition. It transported 685 TWh of gas and plans €10.5 billion of 2026–2030 investments. Uniper announced investment plans in hydrogen-ready gas-fired power plants in Germany by 2030 and signed long-term gas supply contracts totaling about 110 TWh to diversify procurement.
Refining and green hydrogen
Refining assets added lower-carbon capabilities. INA completed the Rijeka Refinery upgrade, adding delayed coking, lifting capacity to up to 4 Mt/y, and removing dependence on imported vacuum gas oil. A grant-backed green hydrogen production plant at the Rijeka Refinery will pair a 10 MW electrolyzer with 11 MW of solar, targeting transport uses and internal processes, with completion by end-2026 and production from 2027.
Technology and standards
China established the Standardization Technical Committee for the Hydrogen Field in the Energy Sector, with Sinopec coordinating subcommittees on production, storage, transport, and applications. In the UK, INEOS progressed catalyst-coated separator technology leveraging chlor-alkali know-how toward scalable electrolyser components. Johnson Matthey and Syensqo validated PGM and ionomer recovery for PEM systems using the HyRefine process, targeting high yields and up to 80% carbon footprint reduction versus virgin routes.
Projects and logistics
NEXTCHEM won a €485 million contract for three West African complexes covering five hydrogen and five ammonia units, urea trains, and ammonia-methanol co-production sized at 0.9 Mt/y ammonia and 0.6 Mt/y methanol. In the Netherlands, Nobian and VERVAEKE deployed the first ADR-certified hydrogen truck for chemicals around Rotterdam, projecting roughly 100,000 km per year and an estimated 88.5 t CO2 reduction per 100,000 km versus diesel.