Press Release: State aid: Commission endorses French €68 million R&D aid to hydrogen energy programme ‘H2E’

The European Commission endorsed under EC Treaty state aid rules a €68 million aid that France plans to grant to Air Liquide, its subsidiary Axane and other partners for the development of a hydrogen energy chain (programme 'H2E'). The programme, selected by the French Industrial Innovation Agency, aims at promoting sustainable and diversified sources of energy, in line with EU objectives. Indeed, the EU supports the development of hydrogen energy through the European Hydrogen & Fuel Cell Technology Platform and the Joint Technology Initiative on Hydrogen. The proposed aid would entail important positive effects in terms of knowledge dissemination and environmental externalities while at the same time having a limited impact on competition.