D8.9 Policy Recommendations Report

The analysis combines an updated review of EU hydrogen policies with insights from a stakeholder consultation involving 34 organisations across the steel, aluminium and hydrogen technology value chains, as well as discussions from the policy panel held during the HyInHeat final event on 27 October 2026. The findings identify high hydrogen costs, insufficient infrastructure, regulatory uncertainty and limited long-term financial support as major barriers to industrial adoption. They also highlight the different decarbonisation pathways of the steel and aluminium sectors and the need for sector-specific policy approaches. Particular attention is given to adapting nitrogen oxide (NOx) emission measurement methodologies to hydrogen combustion, an issue on which stakeholders from industry, technology providers and research organisations expressed a common position.

Based on these findings, the report proposes recommendations to strengthen the predictability of hydrogen funding, align infrastructure development with industrial demand, improve carbon pricing mechanisms, accelerate permitting procedures and harmonise hydrogen regulations across EU Member States. It also calls for a clearer long-term European Hydrogen Strategy that supports investment certainty while recognising the specific technological and economic needs of energy-intensive industries. Together, these recommendations aim to bridge the gap between European hydrogen policy ambitions and the practical conditions required for large-scale industrial deployment.

The report was prepared by European Aluminium, with contributions from stakeholders and HyInHeat consortium partners, including ESTEP, PNO and NTNU.

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