As the world transitions to cleaner energy sources and seeks to reduce carbon emissions, hydrogen is emerging as a key player in the global energy mix. However, realising the full potential of hydrogen will require the right policies and financial mechanisms to support its development and adoption. Do we have the regulatory framework that needs to be in place for the green hydrogen market development? And how are currently introduced regulations will be implemented? What financial support hydrogen projects have and if yes, how easy is it to access it?

The Benelux region has the potential to become a significant growth point for the hydrogen market in Europe due to its strong maritime and port infrastructure, having Belgium as the headquarters for the key regulatory institutions, and thriving entrepreneurial minds that could offer unique technological solutions to support the growth of the hydrogen industry in the region. But what are the challenges that might stand on the way, and how easy is it to scale up hydrogen initiatives in the region?

Hydrogen is currently enjoying unprecedented momentum, and there are many technologies on the market that already exist and are continuing to appear at light speed. But do we need that many to start producing hydrogen at scale? And what will happen to them after 5 or 10 years of active operation?

While the adoption of hydrogen as a clean fuel is accelerating, it still falls short of what is required to help reach net-zero emissions by 2050. One of the significant barriers to its widespread adoption is the infrastructure, which is still in the developing stage. There is still uncertainty about the feasibility of using gas pipelines for hydrogen production, and long-distance transportation is still a challenge. How is the industry reacting to these challenges and which new infrastructure advancements are appearing? Is there a potential for international cooperation to tackle these challenges? And what role can hubs play in the development of hydrogen infrastructure projects?

According to McKinsey, demand for clean hydrogen could grow to approximately 660 million metric tons annually by 2050. And there is a big hydrogen demand from the energy and hard-to-abate sectors already that is hard to meet. Is the supply chain ready for such demand? Do we have the needed regulations in place to accommodate the industry for hydrogen production and utilisation? And with plans of the European Commission to import 10 million tonnes of hydrogen by 2030 do we have needed regulations to fulfil it?

The session will provide a platform for industry experts to share their real-world experiences and insights on developing hydrogen projects. It will explore the challenges faced by industry players in implementing hydrogen projects, the best practices that have emerged, and the lessons learned from the different production phases.

In 2021, global hydrogen demand reached 94 Mt according to reports from the International Energy Agency (IEA). However, despite this growth, hydrogen producers still face unique challenges. One significant challenge is securing offtake agreements for their products. The role of offtakers is crucial in defining and developing the hydrogen economy, and it is important to understand their perspectives on the bottlenecks they face and how to overcome them in order to scale up hydrogen production more efficiently.