Hydrogen Council calls for government action to bolster energy resilience

The Council set out three key priority areas for state action.

The Hydrogen Council has issued a CEO-led call-to-action, urging governments to accelerate hydrogen deployment to strengthen energy system resilience and address energy security pressures.

The call-to-action, titled Hydrogen for a Resilient World, sets out three priority areas for government action, which are integrating hydrogen into emergency energy planning, creating demand-side support mechanisms, and expanding infrastructure investment.

The alliance said in a press release that it calls on governments to recognise hydrogen and its derivatives as tools for supply diversification, electrification, and energy security within crisis response frameworks.

On demand creation, the document urges policymakers to introduce instruments including contracts for difference, offtake guarantees, public procurement, and quotas for low-emissions industrial products to support investment in hydrogen production and use.

On infrastructure, it calls for increased investment in electrolyser capacity, storage facilities, pipelines, port terminals, and cross-border transport networks to connect supply and demand centres.

The call also highlights the need for coordinated market development and certification systems between producing and importing countries.

François Jackow, CEO of Air Liquide and co-chair of the Hydrogen Council, said hydrogen should be treated as a strategic element of energy security and a complement to electrification in industry.

Stientje van Veldhoven, Netherlands Minister for Climate and Green Growth, said the forum supports cooperation between importing and exporting countries on hydrogen deployment.

Petra Schwager, Chief of the Climate and Technology Partnership Division at the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation, said hydrogen projects should support local value creation, employment, and industrial development in producing countries.

The Hydrogen Council said governments and industry should work together to enable large-scale hydrogen deployment through coordinated policy and investment frameworks.