High-Level Policy Conference
DAY 1
MONDAY, 20.11.2023 OPENING DAY
HIGH-LEVEL POLICY CONFERENCE Hall 11, Main Auditorium
13:00 – 14:00
REGISTRATION AND EXHIBITION VISIT
14:00 – 15:00
Session 1: Hydrogen and the global challenges ahead (the session will be also live streamed at the B2B Forum stage in Hall 7)
Hydrogen is one of the highly promising and fast developing solutions to achieve the Paris Agreement. However, there are many challenges that need to be addressed first. Setting the right policy frameworks, enable sustainable business models with the proper funding and financing opportunities while re-skilling the workforce and building an international hydrogen market being only the tip of the iceberg. It is not just an evolution, but the fourth global industrial revolution that we are undergoing. Stakeholders are aware that this transition requires massive upfront investments and that all energy intensive industries will be challenged to their core.
Speakers
Welcome speeches
- SOPNA SURY, Chair, Hydrogen Europe
- MELISSA VERYKIOS, Governing Board Chair, Clean Hydrogen Partnership
Keynote Speeches
- URSULA VON DER LEYEN, President, European Commission
- MAROŠ ŠEFČOVIČ, Executive Vice-President for Interinstitutional Relations and Foresight, European Commission
Speech: BONGINKOSI NZIMANDE, Minister of Higher Education, Science and Innovation, South Africa
Speech: RAFAEL TAJRA FONTELES, Governor of Piaui State, Brazil
Industry perspective and looking forward: JORGO CHATZIMARKAKIS, CEO, Hydrogen Europe
Closing keynote: GUNTHER BEGER, Managing Director of the Directorate for SDG Innovation and Economic Transformation, UNIDO
15:00 – 16:00
NETWORKING AND EXHIBITION VISIT
16:00 – 17:00
Session 2: Storing clean hydrogen in Europe
The REPowerEU strategy adopted by the European Commission in 2022 sets out the ambition to produce 10 million tonnes of renewable hydrogen by 2030. Such a goal requires a massive effort from the whole sector, including technology scale up in hydrogen production, transport infrastructure and storage. Hydrogen long-term seasonal storage addresses the variability of renewable energy, improves grid flexibility, and supports a transition to a sustainable and balanced power system. Its ability to store large amounts of energy over extended periods makes it valuable for a reliable, resilient, and decarbonized energy system.
Speakers
Video address: CHRISTIAN EHLER, Member, European Parliament
Panel:
- RUUD KEMPENER, Member of the Cabinet for Commissioner Kadri Simson, DG ENER, European Commission
- CHRISTIAN PHO DUC, Chief Technology Officer, Smartenergy
- OLIVIA BREESE, CEO and Senior Vice President, Power-2-X, Orsted
- VALERIE RUIZ-DOMINGO, Hydrogen Vice President, ENGIE Group & Hydrogen Europe Board Member
Closing keynote: TERJE AASLAND, Minister of Petroleum and Energy, Norway
Moderated by JORGO CHATZIMARKAKIS, CEO, Hydrogen Europe
17:00 – 18:00
NETWORKING AND EXHIBITION VISIT
18:00 – 20:00
WELCOME COCKTAIL in the expo area
DAY 2
TUESDAY, 21.11.2023
HIGH-LEVEL POLICY CONFERENCE Hall 11, Main Auditorium
09:00 – 10:00
REGISTRATION AND EXHIBITION VISIT
10:00 – 11:00
Session 3: The Hydrogen Bank
The Hydrogen Bank will establish a full hydrogen value chain in the EU. This new scheme will aim at supporting hydrogen production in the EU and at facilitating imports of hydrogen and derivatives from third countries. The Bank can be a great opportunity to enable hydrogen projects to get off the ground in a competitive way, helping to reach the ambitious targets for the sector. While the first auction for domestic production will open at the end of this year with a €800 million budget, some key questions remain to be answered: will projects be allowed to cumulate state aid that they also receive? Will non-price criteria be elaborated too for the selection? What will be the role for low-carbon hydrogen? How will Member States and existing EU structures be involved? This session will investigate how the scheme should be designed and further deployed.
Speakers
Video address: FRANZISKA BRANTNER, Parliamentary State Secretary, Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action, Germany
Keynote speech: CHRISTIAN MAAß, Head of Department, Federal Ministry for Economics Affairs and Climate Action, Germany
Panel:
- HARRY BOYD-CARPENTER, Managing Director for Climate Strategy and Delivery, European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD)
- KURT VANDENBERGHE, Director General, European Commission - DG CLIMA
- VIBEKE RASMUSSEN, Senior Vice-President Product Management and Certification, Yara Clean Ammonia
- NILS ALDAG, CEO, Sunfire
Video address: ROBERT HAJŠEL, Member, European Parliament
Moderated by SOPNA SURY, Chair, Hydrogen Europe
11:00 – 12:00
NETWORKING AND EXHIBITION VISIT
12:00 – 13:00
Session 4: Scaling up electrolysers manufacturing
Electrolysers are one of the main pillars of the EU’s net zero strategy to decarbonise by 2050. Under the REPowerEU strategy, the EU committed to produce 10Million Tons of renewable hydrogen by 2030, requiring some 120 GW of electrolysers to be installed within this decade. Currently, the EU has a world-level competitive edge on electrolysis, being capable of manufacturing electrolysers and their related components with the highest standards on efficiency, reliability, and sustainability. Still, in the fast-paced world of clean technologies, Europe could easily lose its leading position to international competitors, such as China and the US, as it already happened in the past for other sectors. With the proposed Net Zero Industry Act, as reaction to the USA’s Inflation Reduction Act, Europe is trying to tackle this risk, but will it be enough to ensure its competitive edge? What are the main challenges faced by the industry? Do we have the right skills and the right funding mechanisms? And what about further supply shortages such as critical raw materials?
Speakers
Keynote Speech: KERSTIN JORNA, Director-General, DG GROW, European Commission
Panel:
- KERSTIN JORNA, Director-General, DG GROW, European Commission
- WERNER PONIKWAR, CEO, Thyssenkrupp nucera
- RAPHAEL TILOT, CEO, John Cockerill Hydrogen
- HÅKON VOLLDAL, CEO, Nel Hydrogen
- VAITEA COWAN, Co-Founder, Enapter
Moderated by EDWARD BRETHERTON, Partner, Clifford Chance
13:00 – 14:00
NETWORKING AND EXHIBITION VISIT
14:00 – 15:00
Session 5: Ensuring a resilient EU hydrogen supply chain through the Green Deal Industrial Plan
The European Green Deal Industrial Plan (GDIP) was presented by the European Commission in February 2023 as a response to the massive USA subsidy scheme for clean technologies, aiming to tackle the EU’s green industry scale up challenges, exacerbated by the competition from the US and Asia. Industry and policymakers will discuss if these measures are sufficient to maintain and strengthen a strong European value chain for hydrogen. How are the GDIP flagship initiatives helping to tackle the fierce competition from abroad? How can the access to economic support be accelerated? Does Europe have the right setup to establish a strong industry?
Speakers
Video address: ROLAND LESCURE, Minister Delegate for Industry, France
Panel:
- MARK WILSON, CEO Hydrogen Technologies, Johnson Matthey
- ROELAND BAAN, CEO, Topsoe
- WAYNE-DANIEL KERN, VP Commercial Responsibility – Hydrogen/SOFC, Bosch GmbH and Treasurer, Hydrogen Europe
- NORA HAN, Vice President of the Hydrogen Product Group, ABB
- MARCO ALVERA, CEO, TES-2
Closing keynote: GILLIAN MARTIN, Minister for Energy and the Environment, Scotland
Moderated by ROSALINDE VAN DER VLIES, Clean Planet Director, European Commission
15:00 – 16:00
NETWORKING AND EXHIBITION VISIT
16:00 – 17:00
Session 6: The role of hydrogen in decarbonising road transport
It has become clear that there is no silver bullet solution to the decarbonisation of road transport and that all zero emission technologies will have to be deployed to reach the ambitious emission reduction targets and keep us on track for the 1.5 degrees target set in the Paris Agreement. The Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Regulation (AFIR) has finally broken the long-standing chicken-and-egg dilemma between the deployment of infrastructure and the selling of zero emission vehicles: an EU wide network of hydrogen refuelling infrastructure that will be in place by 2030. In this light, panellists will discuss the opportunities for hydrogen as an alternative fuel in the road transport sector, as well as the remaining outstanding challenges that must be addressed for a successful decarbonisation of the sector.
Speakers
Keynote speech: HERALD RUIJTERS, Director, DG MOVE, European Commission
Panel:
- JEAN-CHRISTOPHE BEZIAT, Chief Public Affairs Officer, Hyvia
- FRANÇOIS-RÉGIS LE TOURNEAU, ALICE Chair, Vice President Corporate Responsibility, L’Oréal
- MANFRED SCHUCKERT, Head of Regulatory Strategy & Int. Hydrogen Strategy, Daimler Truck
- GERALD KILLMANN, Senior Vice President Purchasing, R&D and Hydrogen Factory Europe, Toyota Motor Europe
Moderated by VALERIE BOUILLON-DELPORTE, Hydrogen Ecosystem Director, Michelin
Fireside chat:
- JORGO CHATZIMARKAKIS, CEO, Hydrogen Europe
- NICOLAS BRAHY, General Counsel & Head of Public Affairs and Sustainability, Hy24
17:00 – 18:00
NETWORKING AND EXHIBITION VISIT
18:00 – 20:00
BOOTH PARTIES IN THE EXPO AREA
DAY 3
WEDNESDAY, 22.11.2023
HIGH-LEVEL POLICY CONFERENCE Hall 11, Main Auditorium
09:00 – 10:00
REGISTRATION AND EXHIBITION VISIT
10:00 – 11:00
Session 7: Hydrogen backbone: the necessary link
The creation of a hydrogen infrastructure based on existing and new assets is a necessary element in the development of a competitive, liquid, renewable and low-carbon hydrogen market, and a key element in Europe's broader decarbonisation journey. Numerous initiatives demonstrate the industry's determination and commitment to create this necessary link. With new players and customers coming into the market, it is imperative to have a focused policy and clear regulatory framework for the development and construction of hydrogen pipelines, large underground storage sites and terminal at ports for both hydrogen and its derivatives. This session will allow participants to gain insights into the existing ambitious infrastructure plans.
Speakers
Video address: KADRI SIMSON, European Commissioner for Energy
Keynote speech: TINNE VAN DER STRAETEN, Energy Minister, Belgium
Presentation: JORGO CHATZIMARKAKIS, CEO, Hydrogen Europe
Panel:
- ARTURO GONZALO AIZPIRI, CEO, Enagás
- MARIA RITA GALLI, CEO, DESFA - Hellenic Gas Transmission System Operator
- JANNEKE HERMES, ad interim CEO, Gasunie
- PIERO ERCOLI, Executive Director Decarbonization Unit, Snam
- HENNING WEEGE, Head of Hydrogen and Green Energy, thyssenkrup steel Europe
Moderated by KATE ABNETT, Climate and Energy Correspondent, Reuters
Closing remarks: TARIK HAMANE, CEO, Masen (Moroccan Agency for Sustainable Energy)
11:00 – 12:00
NETWORKING AND EXHIBITION VISIT
12:00 – 13:00
Session 8: The hydrogen import challenge: the strategic role of EU ports
To meet hydrogen import targets, infrastructure, regulation, and support mechanisms must be fit for purpose. Many initiatives aim to deliver a framework to ensure international partnerships that can provide a level-playing field, boost welfare and diversify the economy with impacts on world geopolitics. Competition for hydrogen imports, new energy dependencies, and an international market based on common standards are some of the challenges that need to be addressed to seize the opportunities of bringing competitive hydrogen to the European market. A particular attention should be given to ports as they are more and more becoming important hubs which create industrial activities and foster the hydrogen economy.
Speakers
Keynote speech: LAURA COZZI, Director of Sustainability, Technology and Outlooks, IEA
Panel:
- BOUDEWIJN SIEMONS, CEO ad interim and COO, Port of Rotterdam
- ISABELLE RYCKBOST, Secretary General, European Sea Ports Organisation
- MINAS PAPADAKIS, CEO, Heraklion Port Authority
- HOLGER KREETZ, Chief Operating Officer, Uniper
- KHALED NAGEIB, CEO & President, Hydrogen Egypt
Moderated by TUDOR CONSTATNTINESCU, Principal Adviser, DG ENER, European Commission
Closing Remarks: ZEID AL GHAREEB, Director-General of the National Program for the Circular Carbon Economy, Ministry of Energy of The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
13:00 – 14:00
NETWORKING AND EXHIBITION VISIT
14:00 – 15:00
Session 9: A partnership driving forward EU research and innovation in hydrogen technologies
Stakeholders from industry, research and policy will discuss the objectives and the outlook of the Clean Hydrogen Partnership, and how it can help address the main challenges and opportunities shaping EU research and innovation in clean hydrogen technologies. The session will highlight the role and the results of the partnership in developing next generation technologies and improving the present technologies in terms of performances and cost reduction. It will also address how the partnership is promoting cross cutting initiatives on education and training, on regulations, codes, and standards, on pre-normative research, on safety, on supporting the development of the manufacturing supply chains and delivering innovation through demo projects at different scales of impact and readiness, next generation technologies with less use of CRMs, research and technology infrastructures, recycling and sustainability aspects.
Speakers
Keynote: ROSALINDE VAN DER VLIES, Clean Planet Director, DG RTD, European Commission
- MELISSA VERYKIOS, Chair of the Governing Board, Clean Hydrogen Partnership
- ROSALINDE VAN DER VLIES, Clean Planet Director, DG RTD, European Commission
- JORGO CHATZIMARKAKIS, CEO, Hydrogen Europe
- LUIGI CREMA, President, Hydrogen Europe Research
Moderated by MIRELA ATANASIU, ad interim Executive Director, Clean Hydrogen Partnership
15:00 – 16:00
NETWORKING AND EXHIBITION VISIT
16:00 – 17:00
Session 10: Boosting the hydrogen economy – How synergies support increasing the funding impact
This session will reflect on how the EU can work in synergy with Member States to boost and scale up R&I in hydrogen technologies across Europe. It will also look at cooperation and alignment with structural funds and other EU deployment programmes for the development of end use technologies in the mobility and industry sectors as well as of the hydrogen infrastructure that are supported by other EU Partnerships.
Speakers
- ANDREA GENTILI, Deputy Head of Unit DG RTD, European Commission
- SEBASTIEN DUBOIS, CAJU Head of Programme development and Communications, Clean Aviation Joint Undertaking
- ANNE-MARIE SASSEN, Head of Unit, European Innovation Council and SMEs Executive Agency
- ANNETT WEß, Programme Manager Hydrogen Europe, NOW
Moderated by TORSTEN KLIMKE, Head of the Research and Innovation Unit, European Commission
17:20 – 19:00
Clean Hydrogen Partnership & Hydrogen Europe Research AWARDS
17:00 – 20:00
NETWORKING AND EXHIBITION VISIT
DAY 4
THURSDAY, 23.11.2023
HIGH-LEVEL POLICY CONFERENCE Hall 11, Main Auditorium
09:00 – 10:00
REGISTRATION AND EXHIBITION VISIT
10:00 – 11:00
Session 11: Rolling-out and scaling-up Hydrogen Valleys in Europe
The European Commission allocated to the Clean Hydrogen Partnership an additional €200 million through REPowerEU, to double the number of Hydrogen Valleys in Europe by 2025. In this session we will discuss the current state of play and the remaining steps for achieving this objective, including the Clean Hydrogen Partnership’s work with the regions and the tools, instruments, and methodologies available. The discussion will engage around topics such as cross collaboration and replication, bankability, and investment options, validate the performance, assess the gaps, and bring lessons learnt as well as the impact on citizens
Speakers
- HORTENSE LUTZ-HERMELLIN, Delegate, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Region
- KONSTANTINOS CHATZIFOTIS, European Affairs Manager, Motor Oil
- JOHAN HAMSTER, Regional Minister of Energy, Groningen Province, The Netherlands
- NIGEL HOLMES, CEO, Scottish Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Association
Moderated by ROSALINDE VAN DER VLIES, Clean Planet Director, DG RTD, European Commission
11:00 – 12:00
NETWORKING AND EXHIBITION VISIT
12:00 – 13:00
Session 12: Skills to power-up, empower and repower: the new workforce needed for the hydrogen economy
The hydrogen value chain is expected to employ more than one million people by 2030 and five times as many by 2050. The latest legislative developments add to the pressure to create a European workforce that matches the needs of the growing hydrogen sector. 2023 is the European Year of Skills and many initiatives are being developed to support the reskilling and upskilling of the labour force. This session will look at the needs of workers as well as those of the industry in the new hydrogen economy and how we can build on the results of the current projects and initiatives to develop the skills, the knowledge and the opportunities needed.
Speakers
- LORENZO SQUINTANI, Director of the Wubbo Ockels School for Energy and Climate - Spokesperson Hydrogen Valley Campus Europe, University of Groningen
- HENNING EHRENSTEIN, Head of Unit DG GROW, European Commission
- CAPELLA FESTA, COO, Genvia
- NIKOLAOS NTAVOS, Co-Founder and Manager, Cluster of Bioeconomy and Environment of Western Macedonia
Statement from the youth: SIMRAN SINHA, Analyst, Green Hydrogen Organisation
Moderated by BERND BIERVERT, Head of Clean Energy Transitions Unit – DG Research and Innovation, European Commission
13:00 – 14:00
NETWORKING AND EXHIBITION VISIT
14:00 – 15:00
Session 13: Clean Hydrogen Partnership independent scientific advisory workshop part 1 – global trends and outlook
As part of its mandate, the Clean Hydrogen Partnership must consider independent opinions and advice from the wider scientific community on the items included in its Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda (SRIA), as well as in work programmes and developments in adjacent sectors. The session will present the results of the wider scientific community survey and will address, from a global perspective, topics such as circularity, sustainability and use of water, critical raw materials (reduction, reuse, and recycling), novel solutions with no CRMs involved, hydrogen integration in the energy system, use of artificial intelligence.
Speakers
- MIRELA ATANIASU, Executive Director a.i. and Head of Unit Operations and Communication, Clean Hydrogen Partnership
-
MIREI ISAKA, Director, NEDO
- FABRICE STASSIN, Director Government Affairs Electromobility Projects - Coordinator Asian Affair, Umicore
- DAMIEN LENOBLE, Director Materials Research and Technology Department, Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology
Moderated by JULIE MOUGIN, Deputy Director for Hydrogen Technologies, CEA-LITEN
15:00 – 15:45
NETWORKING AND EXHIBITION VISIT
15:45 – 16:00
SPECIAL ADDRESS
OPEN TO ALL VISITORS
Special address by: WOPKE HOEKSTRA, European Commissioner for Climate Action
16:00 – 17:00
Session 14: Clean Hydrogen Partnership Independent scientific advisory workshop part 2 – technology
This session will be focused on presenting technologies and solutions related the open challenges discussed on session 13 (previous session). Here, next generation technologies and need for a cross-sectoral approach will be discussed.
Speakers
- DARIA VLADIKOVA, Professor, Trakia University, Bulgaria
- PIETRO MORETTO, Head of Unit Joint Research Center, European Commission
- NILS ANDERS RØKKE, Executive Vice President Sustainability, SINTEF
- REMI COSTA, Team Leader High Temperature-Fuel Cells, DLR
- DEBORAH JONES, Director of Research, French National Scientific Research Council (CNRS)
Moderated by VIVIANA CIGOLOTTI, Head of Laboratory for energy storage, batteries and hydrogen production and utilisation technologies, ENEA
17:00 – 18:00
NETWORKING AND EXHIBITION VISIT
DAY 5
FRIDAY, 24.11.2023
STREAMED ON THE OFFICIAL EVENT APP AVAILABLE TO ALL PARTICIPANTS
10:00 CET I Webinar
ON THE ROAD TO COP28: REDUCING TIME TO DECARBONISATION WITH CLEAN HYDROGEN
Eight years after the Paris Agreement promised to keep global average temperature rises within 1.5C of pre-industrial levels, COP28 is going to be a key milestone in our global race to net-zero by 2050. As Dubai hosts the first global stock-take, which will evaluate how the world is doing in tackling the climate crisis, one thing is clear: we are not moving fast enough to build a decarbonised, prosperous, and fair future for all. The world has a narrow window to mitigate and adapt to climate change, cutting emissions in half by 2030 and reaching net zero by 2050, to make this summer’s temperatures an exception, not the norm. As economies speed up and scale up their efforts to decarbonise, clean hydrogen will be key. How can COP28 accelerate climate and hydrogen ambitions, reducing time to decarbonisation by accelerating hydrogen uptake? What financing mechanisms and agreements can be put in place to boost international finance for hydrogen projects and green infrastructure? What other priorities should negotiators have to foster hydrogen as a global commodity?
Speakers
- SIEGFRIED HUEGEMANN, Secretary General, African Hydrogen Partnership
- CORNELIUS MATTHES, CEO, Dii Desert Energy & MENA Hydrogen Alliance
- LORENZO ANTOZZI, Director of Energy Transition & Hydrogen De Nora
- REBECCA J. KUJAWA, President & CEO, NextEra Energy Resources
- MAARTEN WETSELAAR, CEO, CEPSA
Moderated by JORGO CHATZIMARKAKIS, CEO, Hydrogen Europe
12:00 CET I Webinar
GREEN ENERGY FOR ALL – HOW HYDROGEN AND ELECTRICITY CARRY OUR FUTURE
The gap between supply and demand for sustainable energy is too large. In cities and industrial areas, where sustainable energy is most needed, there is a severe lack of space. And the deserts and oceans, where there is an abundance of sun and wind, are far away. In his book, Ad van Wijk shows how to solve these storage and transport problems in smart ways with hydrogen and electricity. The book argues for a broader view of energy systems as part of an integrated, global system for supplying energy, materials, water and food. For more information on the book, please click here.
Speakers
- AD VAN WIJK, Professor
- JORGO CHATZIMARKAKIS, CEO, Hydrogen Europe