EU Hydrogen Mechanism: Call for Interest to Test Hydrogen Infrastructure

Building on the encouraging results from the first round of the Hydrogen Mechanism in April, the Commission plans to organise the next round later this year focusing on the development of energy infrastructure.

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Opportunities for Infrastructure Developers

The upcoming infrastructure round will help transmission system operators (TSOs), hydrogen network operators (HNOs) and other relevant organisations assess market interest in planned hydrogen infrastructure projects, such as pipelines and storage.

The Hydrogen Mechanism offers a standardised process for testing market interest through a non-binding round, consisting of 3 main steps

1. The Commission and interested TSOs/HNOs will agree on the parameters of the infrastructures to be tested.
   
2. The Commission will launch the round by inviting registered market participants to express interest and will collect the related data.
   
3. Following closure of the round, infrastructure developers will receive full access to the collected data.
   

Next Steps

Organisations interested in participating are invited to send an email to EU-Energy-Platform@ec.europa.eu by 7 September 2026. Expressing interest is not binding. The Commission will contact interested parties to arrange a demonstration of the Hydrogen Mechanism and discuss modalities of potential market tests.

Background

The EU Energy and Raw Materials Platform supports European companies in securing energy products and raw materials, reinforcing competitiveness, decarbonisation, and security of supply.

The Hydrogen Mechanism addresses major barriers to the development of the hydrogen market, including uncertainty of demand and supply, limited infrastructure and funding challenges. By bringing together buyers and sellers, the Hydrogen Mechanism supports market development, enabling participants to identify and engage with potential commercial partners.