Belgium bids to lead the way on green hydrogen

While Belgium heads up a forum on green hydrogen at COP27 in Egypt, federal Energy minister Tinne Van der Straeten (green party) announced on Tuesday that the Federal Government has approved a draft bill for a hydrogen pipeline.

In October, the Belgian government set out its plan to turn Belgium into Europe's main hub for green hydrogen produced from renewable energy. To this end, Van der Straeten announced a regulatory framework for hydrogen transport via pipelines.

The Energy minister will be at the forefront of setting up an international framework as Belgium heads up a global forum on green hydrogen in Egypt for COP27.

Alongside the International Renewable Energy Agency (Irena) and the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (Unido), the forum will attempt to ensure the same international standards are used for green hydrogen and that "greenwashing" is avoided.

Furthermore, the platform aims to facilitate the large-scale deployment of renewable hydrogen to help decarbonise local industries, accelerate the “just transition” and unlock the environmental and socio-economic potential of the global hydrogen economy, within both developed and developing countries.

Belgium now sees green hydrogen as key to the transition towards a greener energy supply that also respects human rights, access to clean water and social progress.

^{© BELGA PHOTO JASPER JACOBS}