Manufacturers unite to encourage investment in hydrogen in Europe with Global Hydrogen Mobility Alliance
At the beginning of July 2025, executives from more than 30 leading industrial groups (equipment manufacturers, automotive and technology suppliers, energy and chemical companies) called on European leaders to accelerate the deployment of hydrogen mobility in Europe.
At the same time, these industry players – including Air Liquide, BMW Group, Bosch, Volvo Group, Hyundai Motor Group and Toyota – have joined forces to create the Global Hydrogen Mobility Alliance. This new coalition aims to contribute to the EU public debate and support the rollout of the necessary infrastructure needed to scale up the technology.
The Alliance also stresses that Europe is falling behind significantly in the global race, especially against China, which already has more than 28,000 hydrogen trucks and buses in circulation and is aiming for one million vehicles by 2030. To make up for this delay, executives are calling for a targeted market activation phase, to deploy simultaneously vehicle fleets and refueling stations along strategic corridors.
The goal is to create up to 500,000 jobs by 2030, building on Europe’s existing industrial strengths in automotive and advanced manufacturing.
German steel giant Stahl-Holding-Saar (SHS) Group signs initial supply contract with French energy supplier Verso Energy
In March 2024, SHS Group, which owns the Dillinger and Saarstahl steel mills, launched a call for tenders to procure RFNBO-certified (Renewable Fuels of Non-Biological Origin) hydrogen that meets European standards for ten years. It has just announced that the contract has been awarded to the French energy supplier Verso Energy, which aims to become a European leader in low-carbon energy production.
Effective from 2029, the contract covers the annual supply and delivery of “at least” 6,000 tons of green hydrogen. It represents one of the first agreements of its kind between a major German steelmaker and a hydrogen producer. This agreement is a boost for innovation in the sector, laying the groundwork for a bigger scale-up powered by economies of scale.
Ultimately, SHS Group expects to use up to 120,000 tons of hydrogen per year once its new facilities are fully operational, making it the largest consumer in the region.
Under this agreement, Verso Energy will produce the hydrogen as part of its CarlHYng (Carling Hydrogen Next Generation) project in Carling, France, with an initial investment of over €100 million for the construction of an electrolyzer powered by renewable energy.
The hydrogen will be transported via the mosaHYc (Moselle-Saar Hydrogen Conversion) pipeline network, for which the investment decision was announced in April 2024, with commissioning targeted for 2028-2029. This cross-border infrastructure will transport hydrogen to the Dillingen steelworks before distributing it to the group’s other facilities.
Furthermore, this contract is part of the Power4Steel project, one of the largest decarbonization programs in the European steel industry. The green hydrogen will be used in a new direct reduction iron (DRI) plant and electric arc furnaces, with the SHS Group aiming to reduce its CO2 emissions by 55% by the early 2030s.
Construction of the world’s first ammonia-powered container ship has begun, with plans to sail to Europe in 2026.
At the beginning of September, Yara Clean Ammonia, Yara International, CMB.TECH and North Sea Container Line celebrated the start of construction of the Yara Eyde with a steel-cutting ceremony at the Qingdao Yangfan shipyard in China.
Capable of carrying 1,400 standard containers, this vessel will be the first container ship powered by renewable ammonia. It will serve the Oslo-Porsgrunn-Bremerhaven-Rotterdam route and connect European industrial hubs. Delivery is scheduled for mid-2026.
This project has received funding from the Norwegian government, which has provided around $3.6 million in grants through its Enova investment fund. Yara International has already signed a long-term contract for container transport between its fertilizer plant in Porsgrunn, Norway, and the ports of Hamburg and Bremerhaven, Germany.
These manufacturers predict that up to 500,000 jobs will be created by 2030, building on Europe’s existing industrial strengths in automotive and advanced manufacturing. However, this trajectory still relies on strong assumptions regarding the competitiveness of hydrogen fuel cell technology compared to battery-powered vehicles. It also raises questions about the availability of low-carbon hydrogen, as current hydrogen consumers still struggle to decarbonize their supply.
