Remove CO₂ protection to make green hydrogen competitive – NGO
Free allocations in the EU ETS means grey hydrogen producers are protected from carbon costs
A switch from unabated fossil hydrogen to renewable hydrogen is nearly viable economically with prices in the EU Emissions Trading System (ETS) at their current levels, but only if free allocation in the scheme is abolished, according to an analysis by non-governmental organisation Sandbag. The financial costs of such a switch in the methanol and fertiliser sectors are very close to a market price in the ETS of more than €55/t ($65/t) and are already below this price in the refining sector thanks to a market premium expected from selling Renewable Energy Directive II (Red II)-compatible transport fuel. The EU ETS market closed last week at just under €58/CO₂. “The switch to renewable h
Also in this section
2 December 2025
Oil major cites deteriorating demand and a planning debacle as it abandons one of UK’s largest blue hydrogen projects
1 December 2025
Project at Emden in northwest Germany due online in 2027, but wider ramp-up of clean hydrogen sector in Germany will require overhaul of government policy, company warns
25 November 2025
The northwest African country’s vision of integrating green power, molecules and steel is alive and kicking, and serves as a reminder of hydrogen’s transformative potential
19 November 2025
The creation of ‘lead markets’ to generate hydrogen demand in the EU has potential, but implementation would pose complex challenges for producers and industrial offtakers






