French Embassy highlights the strategic importance of low-carbon hydrogen in current European context

The Diplomat The Institut français in Madrid hosted a round table discussion on April 22nd dedicated to the future of smart energy grids and the strategic role of hydrogen in the European energy transition. The event, organized by the Institut français in Spain and the Hydrogen Technology Observatory, in collaboration with Enagás, was part of the Institut français d’Espagne's “French Scenes” cultural season and brought together leading scientific and industrial experts from France and Spain. During the session, the Minister-Counselor of the French Embassy, Nicolas Pillerel, emphasized the strategic importance of low-carbon hydrogen in the current European context: “Hydrogen technologies offer promising prospects in the fight against climate change and the reduction of dependence on fossil fuels.” He also recalled the French hydrogen strategy and cooperation projects such as H2med, aimed at connecting the Iberian Peninsula with Northern Europe through a hydrogen transport network. For his part, Claudio Rodríguez, Director of Technical Services and Technology at Enagás, emphasized the need for international and technological collaboration: “The key word is collaboration,” he stated, underscoring the importance of digitalization as a central driver of the future hydrogen economy. A round table discussion was also held with Emilio Gómez Lázaro (CIEMAT), Abdelilah Slaoui (CNRS), Nathalie Dupassieux (CEA), and Míriam Díaz de los Bernardos (Eurecat and H2CAT), who offered complementary perspectives on hydrogen development in both countries. The discussion addressed potential bottlenecks in the sector: the durability of electrolyzers, the need to reduce the use of critical materials, the intermittency of renewable energies, and the development of storage and transport infrastructure. The speakers agreed that digitalization will be a key element in managing the complexity of the future energy system, based on multiple vectors (electricity and hydrogen). The role of artificial intelligence and digital twins in optimizing energy networks and assets was also highlighted. Another central point was the debate on the cost of hydrogen and the gap between its current price and that of fossil fuels. Abdelilah Slaoui stressed that the comparison must include the cost of CO₂. According to the participants, hydrogen is becoming a structural element of the energy transition, although its deployment will require time, sustained investment, and cooperation between states, industry, and research centers. "The event thus reaffirms the importance of Franco-Spanish cooperation in the development of key energy technologies for the future of Europe," the organizers emphasized.

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