Nordion Energi is one of the co-founders of a new initiative between industrial leaders at the EU level, the European Resilience Alliance for Clean Hydrogen & Derivatives (ERA). The partnership aims to accelerate the development of clean hydrogen in Europe, with the goal of strengthening industrial competitiveness and ensuring strategic autonomy in a time of rapidly changing geopolitical and industrial conditions.

From Sweden, Nordion Energi and Stegra are participating in the initiative.

“We need to turn the ambitions for clean hydrogen in Europe into reality. Early investments in infrastructure, combined with demand-side support mechanisms, will create stability and competitiveness for European industry and ensure that green products can compete on equal terms. This is particularly urgent in a world of increasing geopolitical uncertainty and high volatility in energy prices,” says Hans Kreisel, CEO of Nordion Energi.

The initiative was launched on Tuesday at the European Parliament in Brussels during an event opened by Teresa Ribera, Executive Vice-President and EU Commissioner for a Just, Clean and Competitive Transition. ERA is led by CEOs from industrial companies representing the entire clean hydrogen value chain. Founding members include ENAGÁS, FLUXYS, FORTUM, GASGRID FINLAND, MOEVE, NORDION ENERGI, OGE, RWE GENERATION, SEFE, STEGRA and THYSSENKRUPP, in collaboration with HYDROGEN EUROPE.

ERA will operate based on two main pillars. First, it will serve as a unified voice toward decision-makers at EU, national and regional levels to create the conditions for a competitive fossil-free energy value chain. Second, it will coordinate the entire value chain—from energy production and infrastructure to industrial demand and financing—to identify and resolve practical bottlenecks.

Whitepaper to bridge the gap between EU ambitions and implementation

In connection with the launch, ERA has published a whitepaper that analyzes regulatory bottlenecks, examines how existing policy frameworks align with industrial realities, and outlines the financial and infrastructure barriers slowing Europe’s fossil-free hydrogen market. The document concludes with concrete policy recommendations on how to turn the EU’s hydrogen ambitions into reality.

The whitepaper shows that despite a large number of projects across the clean hydrogen value chain, fewer than 7% have reached a final investment decision (FID). The report identifies several reasons why Europe’s hydrogen rollout is lagging behind its ambitions, including fragmented implementation of EU regulations, complex rules for renewable fuels of non-biological origin (RFNBO), high electricity prices, insufficient demand certainty, and uncertainty around infrastructure development.

The document calls on European institutions and member states to take rapid and coordinated action in four areas:

Demand must drive the development of clean hydrogen: Create stable demand by immediately implementing the Renewable Energy Directive (RED III), ensuring harmonized application of frameworks such as ReFuelEU Aviation and FuelEU Maritime, and developing markets in hard-to-abate sectors such as industry, transport, and defense.

Simple and clear support schemes are crucial: Move from rule-based governance to industrial pragmatism by lowering electricity costs (which currently account for 70% of hydrogen production costs), reshaping EU support to prioritize large-scale industrial projects, and directing resources where they have the greatest impact.

Mobilize private capital for clean hydrogen: Reduce investment risks by ensuring robust carbon pricing in the Emissions Trading System (ETS) and Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM), using revenues to strengthen competitiveness, extending transitional rules for RFNBO beyond 2030, and introducing state-backed guarantees.

Infrastructure is the backbone of an integrated European energy market: Increase funding for a European hydrogen network, coordinate cross-border planning with clear timelines, and create EU-wide risk-sharing instruments for early infrastructure investments.

The full policy paper is available here: http://www.eu-resilience-alliance.com/ External link.

CEOs participating in the European Resilience Alliance:

Arturo Gonzalo Aizpiri, CEO, Enagás
Pascal De Buck, CEO, Fluxys
Markus Rauramo, CEO, Fortum
Olli Sipilä, CEO, Gasgrid Finland
Jorgo Chatzimarkakis, CEO, Hydrogen Europe
Maarten Wetselaar, CEO, Moeve
Hans Kreisel, CEO, Nordion Energi
Thomas Huewener, CEO, OGE
Nikolaus Valerius, CEO, RWE Generation
Egbert Laege, CEO, SEFE
Niklas Wass, CEO, Stegra Boden
Miguel Ángel López Borrego, CEO, thyssenkrupp & thyssenkrupp Decarbon Technologies