Hydrogen Production in Czechia Faces EU Regulatory Wall Despite National Efforts

Czechia’s green hydrogen future is at a bit of a crossroads right now. Even though the country has kicked things off with its first commercial hydrogen plant and put €120 million on the table to boost development, strict EU hydrogen regulations are making it tough to pick up the pace. According to Veronika Vohlídková, Executive Director of HYTEP, the way the EU defines what’s considered “renewable hydrogen” might actually stand in the way of Czechia hitting its hydrogen production goals—20,000 tonnes by 2030.

Challenges for repowering post-coal regions

The government’s Hydrogen Strategy is looking to breathe new life into post-coal areas like Zlín and Ústí nad Labem by making them hubs for green hydrogen innovation. One of the flagship efforts—the Solar Global plant in Napajedla—represents that vision in action. But here’s the snag: the plant, like others in the pipeline, is struggling to meet the EU’s rigid rules around how and when electricity can be sourced for electrolysis. These hurdles are slowing progress just when momentum is starting to build.

Call for more flexible rules

Groups like HYTEP, along with other players in the field, are urging EU decision-makers to rethink their approach. They’re asking for regulations that recognize the unique challenges facing emerging sustainable energy markets like Czechia’s. Without that shift, there’s a growing concern: the country could end up with expensive hydrogen assets that can’t do what they were built for, and that could put key industrial decarbonization projects—and even national energy security—at risk.