Czechia urges EU to rethink hydrogen production rules
PRAGUE – Czech officials are calling on the European Commission to revisit its hydrogen production rules, arguing that the current framework is based on unrealistic expectations and it limits the growth of hydrogen development in the country.
The Czech Hydrogen Technology Platform (HYTEP), an industrial expert coalition dedicated to advancing hydrogen technologies, has warned in a recent policy paper that the EU’s stringent rules were set on overly optimistic assumptions, expecting rapid deployment of hydrogen technologies that have not yet materialised. The same argument was expressed by the Czech Industry and Trade Ministry.
Veronika Vohlídková, HYTEP’s executive director, said :
Two years ago, the rules approved for renewable hydrogen production were set too strictly and expected mass deployment of hydrogen technology by now. However, this is not happening and can only be expected in the next decade,
HYTEP’s analysis points to three major barriers: limited renewable electricity availability, low capacity factors due to stringent production rules, and high capital costs for electrolysers.
In reaction, the Czech hydrogen stakeholders call for a more flexible framework that lets electrolysers run at higher capacity – meaning they can operate more continuously and efficiently. They also want the current transitional measures to be extended, giving the hydrogen sector a longer period to mature before stricter rules take full effect.
Moreover, they demand that hydrogen production is treated fairly and not penalised compared to using electricity directly. Finally, they insist that hydrogen production should be encouraged only when renewable energy is generated in a way that supports overall grid stability and efficiency—a crucial point for Czechia, where wind and solar potential is more limited.
The platform’s call was supported by the Czech Industry and Trade Ministry.
Miluše Trefancová, the ministry’s spokesperson, told Euractiv.
We agree with these arguments,
She particularly emphasised the need to extend the transitional period for regulations on additionality, time matching and geographic correlation of hydrogen production. This transitional period is currently set until the end of 2027, but in the Czech view, it should be extended until the European hydrogen market is fully operational.
The Czech ministry spokesperson said,
This is likely to happen in the second half of the next decade, i.e. the current transition period should be extended by about 10 years,
Trefancová also emphasised that Czech officials have been raising these concerns in discussions with other member states and the European Commission.
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Czechia urges EU to rethink hydrogen production rules, source
