The European Commission is expected to publish the draft terms and conditions of the fourth auction of the European Union Hydrogen Bank (EHB) before the end of June. According to Hydrogen Europe, the auction will be launched before the end of the year. The association recommends more flexible deadlines for entry into operation and stricter criteria for financial close, while enabling coordinated use of production and demand support between the EHB and future offtaker projects.

Over the past year, the European hydrogen market has become increasingly detached from the emissions reduction strategy linked to the Paris Agreement, said Jorgo Chatzimarkakis, CEO of Hydrogen Europe, arguing that hydrogen growth in Europe is now driven primarily by geopolitical factors. “Europeans are now waking up. We are facing job losses, especially in industry. Fossil molecules as a commodity are now gone. We have also moved beyond purely climate-focused policies. It is now about climate and resilience,” Chatzimarkakis said during a speech at Intersolar in Munich, Germany. “Reliability of supply is the core of resilience,” he added, noting that the cost of electricity curtailment in Europe, which reached €5.6 billion in 2025, is expected to rise to €24 billion by 2030. Chatzimarkakis said that if the industry fails to convince policymakers to shift from a “green premium” to a “resilience premium,” “Europe will lose.” He also argued that the EU emissions trading system (ETS) should serve as a foundation for Europe’s resilience framework.

Italian gas distributor Italgas has presented plans to roll out a new-generation “H2-ready” smart meter, which it says offers improved measurement and remote control performance, a longer service life, and the ability to measure hydrogen blends of more than 20%. The company said installed Nimbus meters have now exceeded 200,000 units. Italgas also said it is continuing, as planned, with its Hyround power-to-gas pilot project in Sardinia. The project uses green hydrogen, either blended with natural gas or in pure form, to supply local businesses, more than 100 households, and public transport networks.

Australia and Germany have signed a memorandum of understanding to deepen and structure bilateral cooperation on hydrogen. Under a joint H2Global auction scheme, each country will contribute up to €200 million. The funds will be used to purchase hydrogen products in Australia via auction and resell them in Germany through a separate auction, according to the German government. In autumn 2024, the two countries signed an initial MoU committing funding to H2Global. Negotiations since then are nearing completion, with a tender design now defined. “The memorandum of understanding signed today clarifies long-term cooperation under H2Global, providing for joint funding over up to ten years,” the German government said.