Post crises hydrogen plans in EU Member States and building blocks for a Portugal-Spain-France-Germany H2 corridor
Practical information
Themes and regions
Related centers and programs
Germany’s transition to climate neutrality will require large volumes of low carbon hydrogen and byproducts (H2). A large part will have to be imported, and German companies plan to play a key role across significant portions of the value chains with the backing of the government.
Portugal and Spain are simultaneously gearing up for significant domestic production, aimed at fostering reindustrialization and, potentially, facilitating exports as well. France in turn sees a more limited role for hydrogen with electrification and on-site production given a priority, but is now open to being a transit country for supplies to Germany.
Fundamental questions to be discussed in this high-level conference include: What will be the future demand for H2 in Southern Germany and Northwestern Switzerland? What quantity will be available for export from the Iberian Peninsula: What role will France play with its potential position as a “rainbow H2” nation: all-colours producer, consumer, exporter, transit country? What is required to develop a hydrogen transport corridor to Southern Germany, building on the H2Med project?
Program
8:30 | Welcome coffee
8:45–09:00 | Introductory remarks
Marc-Antoine Eyl-Mazzega, Director, Center for Energy & Climate, Ifri
Gonzalo Escribano, Director of the Energy and Climate Change Program, Elcano Royal Institute
09:00-10:30 | Panel 1
Future H2 demand in Southern Germany and Switzerland, taking into account impact of crises on the Wirtschaftstandort?
- Markus Exenberger, Executive Director, H2 Global Foundation
- Bernd Reuter, Senior Ministerial Councilor, Deputy Department Head, and Head of the Hydrogen Unit, Baden-Württemberg
- Dr. Fabian Pfaffenberger, Managing Director, Zentrum Wasserstoff.Bayern, Hydrogen Center Bavaria
- Ulrich Heppe, CEO, Stuttgart Airport
- Elke Eckstein, Senior Vice President Engineering and Facilities, Flughafen München GmbH
- Volker Hasenberg, Deputy Head of International Hydrogen Strategy, Daimler Trucks
- Dr. Arthur Janssen, Leiter Strategie & Innovation, IWB, Founder, H2 Hub Switzerland
Moderation: Marc-Antoine Eyl-Mazzega, Director, Center for Energy & Climate, Ifri
10:30-10:50 | Coffee break
10:50-12:15 | Panel 2
Supply side and export potential in Portugal and Spain
- Francisco Laverón, Direction of Energy Policies Head of Energy Policy, Iberdrola
- Francisco Maza Luque, Director of Hydrogen, Repsol
- Mayte Teresa Nonay, Director of Strategy, Enagas
- Jose Manuel Rodriguez, Director of Hydrogen Regulation & Gov Affairs, EDP
- Diogo Almeida, Head of Hydrogen Business Development, GALP
Moderation: Laurent Thery, President, Vercors Renewables Investments Advisors
12:15-13:15 | Networking Lunch (by invitation)
Address by Prof Dr. Veronika Grimm, Chair of Economic Theory, Friedrich-Alexander Universität Erlangen Nürnberg on Germany’s energy policy post-crises and impacts on H2
13:30-15:00 | Panel 3
The future hydrogen value chain map and ramp up: local or global ? Diverging views on systems or just a matter of sequencing and location? What is an efficient balance between electrons and molecules and how have the crises ?
- Alexandre Perra, Group Senior Executive Vice-President, Innovation, Corporate Social Responsibility and Strategy, EDF
- Mansur Zhakupov, Vice President, Hydrogen Gas, Renewables & Power, Totalenergies
- Valérie Ruiz-Domingo, Group Hydrogen Vice-President, Engie
- Pierre-Etienne Franc, CEO, HY24
- Olivia Infantes Morales, Director of Regulation and Clean Energies, Cepsa
- Luc Poyer, CEO, McPhy
- Matthieu Giard, Vice President, Air Liquide
- Bertrand Walle, Manager, Regional Energy & Carbon, HSE&Q Borealis
Moderation: Diana Gherasim, Research Fellow, Center for Energy & Climate, Ifri
15:00-16:30 | Panel 4
Squaring the transportation challenge from Spain to Germany: infrastructure upgrades, bottlenecks, H2Med, competing routes or energy supplies. What are conducive policies and regulation requied to ensure the viability of investments? How can France become a hydrogen platform with transit, storage, and flexible supplies?
- Ruud Kempener, Member of Cabinet, DG Energy, European Commission
- Philippe Bozier, Public Infrastructure and Project Finance Leader, Mazars
- Dominique Mockly, Chairman and CEO, Teréga
- Thierry Trouvé, CEO GRTGaz
- Damien Ravaud, New Gases Director, Storengy France
- Dr. Matthias Jenn, Director, Bayernets
- François Leveille, Head ofUpstream gas Infrastructure Department, CRE
Moderation: Gonzalo Escribano, Director of the Energy and Climate Change Program, Elcano Royal Institute
16:30-17:00 | Coffee and seminar conclusion
This event is by invitation only and will be held in English in hybrid format.
In partnership with Elcano Royal Institute
Related Subjects
Other events
Forum France-Ukraine 2025
Three years after the start of Russia's full-scale war against Ukraine, the France-Ukraine 2025 Forum will welcome politicians, experts, academics, and civil society representatives from both countries to discuss three main topics: Ukraine's current military strategy and strategic perspectives; the country's resilience and recovery; Ukraine's European and transatlantic perspectives, including the EU accession process and its aspirations to join NATO.
The Evolution of the U.S. Strategic Posture under Trump's Second Term
The United States’ strategic posture is currently marked by significant uncertainty and contradictory signals.
Debate Series "What Matters to Germany" - What Future for its Energy Transition?
With the arrival of the new German federal government and the Greens moving into opposition, the question of the future of Germany's energy transition arises. This transition must reconcile industrial competitiveness, employment, and social cohesion, and represents an opportunity to modernize energy infrastructure while reducing dependence on fossil fuels.