The Transatlantic Clean Hydrogen Trade Coalition to connect US and Europe in a record hydrogen trage

It’s rare for industry role players to form a coalition that aims to enable continents to come together and provide clean power. In most cases, the key stakeholders compete with each other to see who can get the best deal in a very competitive market. But a recent announcement by the Transatlantic Clean Hydrogen Trade Coalition (H2TC) has provided the relevant stakeholders with the opportunity to come together and deliver a groundbreaking project that will enable countries all over the world to transport and make use of hydrogen in large quantities.

Several key stakeholders have come together to develop a new form of hydrogen transportation

For far too long, the renewable energy sector has been divided by the vast oceans that separate the continents. Europe was left to fend for itself as the United States explored alternative power solutions for its problems. While the good old coal power has seen a rise in operations, thanks in part to the new approach to the sector led by the Trump administration, the renewable sector has seen massive improvements in technology and production processes.

As a result of the rise in energy needs, several key stakeholders in the hydrogen sector have come together to form the Transatlantic Clean Hydrogen Trade Coalition. Some of those key players in the coalition are:

• The Mission Possible Partnership (MPP)
• RMI
• Systemiq
• Power2X

The goal of the new coalition is to enable a new hydrogen cooperation deal between the US and Europe

The Transatlantic Clean Hydrogen Trade Coalition aims to connect U.S. fuel producers to heavy-industry consumers in Europe, while promoting clean and sustainable hydrogen shipments across the Atlantic Ocean. The purpose of the coalition is to facilitate the transportation of roughly 3 million metric tons per year of hydrogen in the form of ammonia and methanol through this corridor by 2030.

Those are some lofty ambitions to say the least. But if all the relevant stakeholders play their part, we expect the project to be a success. If that does happen, it would enable large-scale transportation of hydrogen, which would inevitably lead to higher levels of hydrogen usage around the world. Hydrogen really could become the “fuel of the future”.

“H2TC marks an important step to open the gateway for cross-Atlantic shipments of clean hydrogen. The capacity to import relatively cheap clean hydrogen from the US to complement local production will have a direct and significant impact on the European industry’s efforts to deploy clean production processes at scale, including in the fertilizer, steel, and shipping sectors. More broadly, it underscores the potential of targeted coalitions to overcome the critical next stage challenges to operationalizing net-zero commitments.” – Chad Holliday, Co-Chair of Mission Possible Partnership

A crucial stakeholder in the coalition has stated their approval and pleasure with the deal. RMI will play an integral role in the management of the project and could see its foothold in the sector rise exponentially thanks to the new deal.

“The Coalition brings together a group of private and public sector leaders that have the ambition and the capability to make clean hydrogen trade happen this decade. We are proud to be a part of this collaboration, bringing energy security and helping the energy transition on both sides of the Atlantic.” – Bryan Fisher, managing director of RMI and director of hubs at MPP

Can hydrogen overtake the fossil fuel sector to become the dominant source of fuel in the sector

That would be the hope for all involved in the coalition. Hydrogen is an energy source that has so much potential. If only more could be done in the sector to enable significant investments into the research and practical applications of the fuel, we could easily see hydrogen become the main source of energy in the world. Until that time comes, the new Transatlantic Clean Hydrogen Trade Coalition is our best bet to improve the standing of hydrogen in the energy sector as a whole.