ARTICLE Priorities for European regulators according to A2A Three European regulatory essentials – hydrogen certification, licensing competence, and price incentives – are necessary to make the hydrogen dream come true. At A2A, we see hydrogen as a critical element of the Net Zero 1. CLEARLY DEFINE AND CERTIFY THE TYPES OF CLEAN future, and an important component of our ambitious, green HYDROGEN. It is essential for regulators to agree on a definition corporate agenda. Sustainability is the North Star of our new for ‘green hydrogen’. Everyone along the chain, from investors to Strategic Plan, guiding our ten-year evolution into a company at end users, needs to know the level of emissions arising from the the service of the well-being of people and the planet. It is also hydrogen they use. Unfortunately it is impossible to be certain – or guiding the reduction of our CO output by 312 megatons during even confident – without regulated definitions of terminology such the decade. as ’green’ and ‘clean’. A common standard accepted Europe- wide would be welcome; international agreement would support Achieving our goals for clean hydrogen production – whether the development of a global hydrogen trade. A certification using renewable electricity generated through photovoltaic regime to support these definitions by connecting the production cells, wind turbines, or waste-to-energy technology – requires of hydrogen to specific facilities would guarantee its origin and a regulatory framework which demands cooperative action allow, for example, Power Purchase Agreements to reflect the between states. Here we emphasize three essential areas inherent ‘greenness’ of hydrogen delivered. of priority for European regulators to unlock the potential of hydrogen projects. Their urgent action will allow waiting investment capital to be activated in the cause of emissions 2. DEVELOP HYDROGEN COMPETENCIES AMONG reduction. LICENSING AUTHORITIES. Hydrogen technologies are largely proven, but require scaling up. Consequently, expertise in the techniques of its production and distribution remain “It is essential for regulators relatively rare. Building knowledge swiftly among local and national regulatory authorities would improve their hydrogen to agree on a definition for competencies quickly. That rapid learning is necessary to underpin the confident approval and certification of new ‘green hydrogen’.” hydrogen infrastructure, including electrolyzers, storage and transmissionfacilities, and other projects in time to meet 2030 emissions-reduction targets. 46