Nuremberg Hydrogen Conference 2025
On 14 July 2025, I had the pleasure of attending the Nuremberg Hydrogen Conference, hosted by the University of Technology Nuremberg.
The event brought together leading researchers, policymakers, and industry representatives to discuss the current state and future of the hydrogen economy in Germany and beyond.
✅ Key takeaways:
📌 AI and clean energy:
- The growing energy demands of AI make clean hydrogen a key enabler for a sustainable digital future.
📌 Speed of integration:
- While oil and gas took ~50 years and renewables ~15 years to become integral to the energy system, hydrogen should achieve this in just 5 years — provided the right conditions are in place.
📌 Hydrogen production costs (2023, EU grid-mix):
- Lowest: Finland (€4.1/kg), Sweden (€4.4/kg)
- Highest: Cyprus (€17.4/kg), Poland (€12.4/kg)
📌 Barriers slowing hydrogen deployment:
- Limited willingness to pay for H2
- Market uncertainty and lack of demand aggregation
- Permitting delays
- Industry is still waiting for GW-scale proof and strong public support mechanisms.
📌 Hydrogen imports remain slow, and it is important to create competition between demand and production side.
📌 A clear market dynamic: as hydrogen prices rise, demand drops – and vice versa.
📌 Two-sided auctions, such as those facilitated by H2Global, are a promising tool to stimulate both supply and demand and accelerate market ramp-up.