Clean hydrogen has grown into an important focus of European energy policy in recent years, with ambition for total consumption increasing 500% from the Hydrogen Strategy of 2020, to the REPowerEU plans of 2022. Since then, clean hydrogen technologies have found a prominent place in key industrial policy documents, namely the Net-Zero Industry Act (NZIA) and Green Deal Industrial Plan (GDIP). These latest developments have further elevated the importance of the sector not only as a driver of decarbonisation and energy security, but also as a vector for industrial reinvigoration in Europe.

The confluence of this high level of ambition and a cross-sectoral scope has brought with it a complex and sophisticated legal and technical framework. Europe is leading the world on clean hydrogen legislation and is setting global benchmarks for some of the most central issues, such as a taxonomy of definitions on hydrogen origin. However, given the novelty of the sector, the rules, governance frameworks, and support mechanisms are all evolving very quickly, with several questions still open. 2024, will be an important year for the nascent clean hydrogen industry, as the Hydrogen and Decarbonised Gas Market Package will be formally adopted, the first two rounds of the European Hydrogen Bank will be concluded, and hydrogen importers will begin having to submit reports on the embedded emissions of their product, as per the phase in of the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM).

Working with the complex legislative framework for hydrogen requires an understanding of the many interlinked pieces of policy and law.

This course, bringing together leading academics, Commission officials and industry, will provide an in-depth knowledge of the different elements and how they fit together, including:

• The policy framework: what are the objectives that the EU and its Member States are trying to pursue, and where will this head? How will the market develop given this new framework?
• The Emission Trading System and the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism. This will be the basic long-term financial driver for the use of renewable and low-carbon hydrogen. How will this drive renewable and low-carbon hydrogen/RFNBO demand?
• The revised Renewable Energy Directive, and the ReFuel Aviation and Maritime Regulations, which set the basic legal framework for the ‘demand push’ requirements on Member States and Industry. How are Member States implementing this in their National Energy and Climate Plans? What will be the effect in terms of concrete RFNBO demand?
• The highly complex requirements in the RED III and delegated acts that must be met in order to ensure that hydrogen and hydrogen-based fuels such as ammonia and methanol can qualify as renewable or low-carbon. In particular, these concern ‘additionality’ GHG savings, and ‘mass balance requirements. What is the regulatory framework applicable to renewable and low carbon transport fuels?
• The future regulatory framework for the hydrogen network. How will the Directive and Regulation operate in practice?
• The subsidy and support framework: the State aid rules and the subsidy approach at EU and Member State levels (Hydrogen Bank, H2Global….).

After completing this course, you’ll be able to:

• Map the technical and legislative landscape of European hydrogen policy,
• Identify and evaluate the relevant funding opportunities for projects corresponding to different parts of the value chain,
• Communicate the strategic objectives of clean hydrogen for the EU,
• Compare the European approach to clean hydrogen policy within the context of other international initiatives,
• Critically analyse and debate the projected direction and evolution of the sector for 2030 to 2050.

You’ll get a hands-on learning experience with:

• In-person instruction provided by leading experts from policy-making, academia, and the world of practice.

The course is given in English and developed for:

• Professionals and regulators engaged in the sector
• Legal professionals
• New stakeholders in the energy sector
• Energy companies

This training course is given in English.

Please note that the number of seats in this course is limited. Participants must enclose a short CV (max. 2 pages) to their registration form. Participants will receive a response regarding their admission two weeks after the registration deadline.

• Andris Piebalgs, Florence School of Regulation
• Anna Colucci, Director Energy, DG COMP European Commission
• Catharina Sikow-Magny, Director Green transition and energy sector integration, European Commission 
• Christopher Jones, Florence School of Regulation
• Gideon Saunders, ENTSOG
• Ilaria Conti, Florence School of Regulation
• Klaus-Dieter Borchardt, Senior Visiting Fellow, Oxford Institute of Energy Studies
• Leonardo Meeus, Florence School of Regulation
• Maria Olczak, Oxford Institute of Energy Studies, EDF Europe
• Samuel Verschraegen, Policy Officer, DG CLIMA, European Commission
• William-James Kettlewell, Baker McKenzie

At the end of the course, participants will receive a Certificate of Participation.
Please note that both parts of the courses (online and residential) are mandatory to successfully complete it.

Each year, the Florence School of Regulation – Energy and Climate (FSR Energy & Climate) awards scholarships for a wide variety of training courses targeting a broad audience of professionals and academics.

Applications will be assessed by a Selection Committee of FSR members on a yearly basis. The successful candidates will be informed after February 2024 and will be provided with all relevant information on how to enroll in the online course or residential training of their choice.

Send your application by 2 February 2025.

Find more information here

Fees

• General fee: 3,000 EUR
• Associate Donor 10%: 2.700 EUR
• Major Donor 20%: 2.400 EUR
• Star Donor 25%: 2.250 EUR

Contacts: fsr.conferences@eui.eu

The course fee includes:

• Residential classes held in Florence
• Group work activity
• Networking dinner and two lunches

Please note that the course fee does not cover travel and accommodation costs.

Cancellation policy 

Paid registration fee is non-refundable. However, registrant substitution may be made up to 20 days before the start date of the course.