A new paper from the Elcano Royal Institute emphasizes the geo-economic and geopolitical drivers and hurdles to hydrogen in the Mediterranean.
The goal of this policy paper is to provide a preliminary assessment of the geoeconomic and geological drivers and hurdles to the creation of a hydrogen market that incorporates renewable resources from both European and Mediterranean neighbors.
A survey of the literature on hydrogen in the Mediterranean was conducted, which included everything from European hydrogen policies and industries to think tank publications and academic research.
The research addresses numerous crucial characteristics of the Mediterranean’s hydrogen geopolitical situation.
For example, while shared components in European hydrogen policies are important drivers of market development, partial inconsistency in some external methods may act as geoeconomic and geopolitical roadblocks to market expansion and integration.
In addition, the region’s plentiful renewable resources, existing infrastructure and industry, and comparatively inexpensive transportation costs in compared to other origins all encourage green hydrogen.
Despite this, questions about prices, the scope of potential support measures, and regulation, particularly carbon pricing alignment, remain unanswered.
This picture tends to favor intra-European integration and encourages neighbors to align their climate policies with the EU’s.
Importantly, in terms of energy security, sustainability, governance, and foreign policy, hydrogen geopolitics in the Mediterranean exhibits both drivers and impediments.
A geopolitically viable merit order would prioritize European integration and encourage collaboration with neighbors where geopolitical drivers clearly outweigh the hurdles.
