France Doubles Down on Green Hydrogen: What’s Inside the 2025 National Strategy

In March 2025, the French government released an updated version of its National Hydrogen Strategy, originally launched in 2020. This new edition confirms hydrogen’s central role in France’s decarbonisation roadmap, with a sharp focus on industrial use, electrolyser deployment, and infrastructure readiness.

With €4 billion in fresh support, 150+ projects already launched, and a clear rejection of early import reliance, France is setting out to become a hydrogen production powerhouse—on its own terms.

The Vision: Green Hydrogen as a Pillar of Industrial Sovereignty

At the core of France’s updated hydrogen strategy lies a clear and deliberate political message: hydrogen is not just a climate solution—it is a strategic asset for national sovereignty.

The document places hydrogen within a broader framework of energy independence, industrial resilience, and technological leadership. The lessons of recent global crises—whether linked to pandemics, geopolitical tensions, or energy price volatility—have underscored the importance of reducing reliance on imported fossil fuels and foreign-controlled technologies. Green hydrogen, produced locally with low-carbon electricity, offers a way to address these vulnerabilities while contributing to France’s long-term climate goals.

The preferred production method is electrolysis, which uses electricity to split water into hydrogen and oxygen. This approach, when powered by France’s existing low-carbon energy mix—mainly nuclear and renewables—results in very low lifecycle emissions. According to national estimates, hydrogen produced this way emits less than 3.1 kg of CO₂ per kilogram of hydrogen, comfortably within EU sustainability thresholds.

Unlike imported hydrogen or fossil-based alternatives, this model:

• Strengthens national control over energy infrastructure,
• Stimulates domestic industries, especially in manufacturing, chemicals, and energy,
• Generates high-value jobs, from R&D to large-scale deployment,
• And reinforces France’s role in shaping EU industrial policy on climate technologies.

In this vision, hydrogen is not a catch-all energy carrier but a targeted tool—to decarbonise specific sectors (like heavy industry and transport), develop a competitive technological base (notably in electrolysers and fuel cells), and support the reindustrialisation of key regions through hydrogen hubs.

By focusing on national production—rather than early reliance on imports—France hopes to lay the groundwork for a robust domestic market, capable of scaling and eventually contributing to European and international hydrogen flows in a second phase, beyond 2035.

In short, green hydrogen is framed as a pillar of strategic autonomy—not just a tool for decarbonisation, but a driver of industrial transformation in its own right.

Key Targets and Tools: Building France’s Hydrogen Backbone

France’s updated hydrogen strategy is anchored by a set of clear, measurable targets and policy instruments designed to scale up the sector rapidly and sustainably. Here's how the country plans to get there:

⚡ Production Capacity
France aims to install 4.5 GW of electrolysis capacity by 2030, ramping up to 8 GW by 2035. This scale is essential to meet industrial decarbonisation needs and aligns with projected demand from sectors such as chemicals, steel, and aviation fuels. Electrolysis will be entirely powered by France’s low-carbon electricity mix, combining nuclear and renewables, ensuring that hydrogen production stays within strict EU emissions thresholds.

🇫🇷 No Imports Before 2035
Unlike other European countries exploring hydrogen imports from Africa or the Middle East, France is betting on full national self-sufficiency—at least until 2035. The government considers long-distance imports too costly, uncertain, and slow to implement. This domestic-first approach also supports local industry, jobs, and control over energy infrastructure.

🏭 Strategic Industrial Hubs
Hydrogen production will be concentrated in major industrial areas:

• Fos-sur-Mer (South): Home to petrochemical and refining clusters.
• Dunkirk (North): A steelmaking and logistics hub with strong European connectivity.
• Le Havre and Lyon’s “Vallée de la Chimie”: Key nodes for chemicals and energy-intensive industries.

These hubs are strategically chosen for their proximity to large consumers and existing infrastructure, enabling the creation of “hydrogen valleys” that integrate production, transport, storage, and end-use.

🏗 Industrial Decarbonisation First
France’s top priority is cleaning up industrial hydrogen already in use—particularly in oil refining, ammonia and methanol production, and steelmaking. These sectors currently rely on fossil-based hydrogen ("grey hydrogen"), contributing millions of tonnes of CO₂ annually. By substituting this with green hydrogen, France targets deep emissions cuts in hard-to-abate sectors.

Beyond substitution, hydrogen will also enable new value chains, such as the domestic production of e-methanol and synthetic fuels for shipping and aviation.

🚛 Hydrogen for Mobility
While battery electric vehicles are seen as the default for cars and urban transit, hydrogen is being positioned for specialist transport needs—long-haul trucks, refrigerated logistics, construction machinery, and agricultural equipment. France’s strategy acknowledges hydrogen’s lower efficiency and higher cost but sees it as critical for specific use cases where battery solutions fall short.

🔬 Electrolyser Industry Leadership
France supports four complementary electrolyser technologies to diversify and de-risk the supply chain:

• Alkaline: Mature and low-cost (John Cockerill, McPhy)
• PEM (Proton Exchange Membrane): Flexible and compact (Elogen)
• High-Temperature (SOEC): High-efficiency, heat-integrated (Genvia)
• AEM (Anion Exchange Membrane): Promising innovation with fewer rare materials (Gen-Hy)

These companies are supported by more than €600 million in public investment and backed by the EU’s Important Projects of Common European Interest (IPCEI). Together, they form the backbone of a sovereign European electrolyser industry.

👷 Training & Jobs
Workforce readiness is central to the plan. Through the “Compétences et Métiers d’Avenir” (CMA) programme, €41.5 million is being invested to train 100,000 workers, including 50,000 in technical roles across 11 regions. Curricula span from vocational to postgraduate levels, and major industrial players like Symbio are developing their own training academies, often open to external learners.

Innovation, Regulation, and Export: France’s Comprehensive Hydrogen Playbook

Behind France’s ambitious hydrogen rollout lies a carefully engineered ecosystem—one that combines technological innovation, smart regulation, and international influence. The goal isn’t just to build a domestic market, but to shape the global playing field for hydrogen technologies on French terms.

🛠 Fast-Track Regulation for Strategic Projects
To accelerate deployment, France has revamped its regulatory framework through the Green Industry Act and the Renewable Energy Acceleration Law. These measures:

• Cut environmental permitting timelines in half,
• Streamline land-use approvals for electrolyser sites and hydrogen infrastructure,
• Prioritise fast-track access to grid connections for hydrogen-related projects.

New legal tools also clarify safety standards for production, transport, and storage—critical for scaling industrial deployment.

📏 Standards and Certification: Playing the Long Game
France is actively engaged in shaping hydrogen carbon accounting methodologies, both nationally and within the EU. A key political priority is ensuring that low-carbon hydrogen produced using nuclear electricity (the backbone of France’s energy mix) is treated equally to renewable hydrogen under EU climate and energy legislation.

This debate—central to the future hydrogen economy—will determine how hydrogen is counted toward decarbonisation targets, how subsidies are distributed, and how cross-border trade flows develop. France is pushing for a technology-neutral, lifecycle-based approach, which could greatly benefit countries like Ireland with diverse energy mixes.

🔬 Research and Innovation Across the TRL Spectrum
Innovation remains at the core of France’s hydrogen strategy. Through national and European instruments—including PEPR H₂, PIA4, and IPCEI Hydrogen—the French government supports R&D at every stage:

• Early-stage research on novel electrolysis methods, fuel cells, and hydrogen storage materials,
• Pilot and demonstrator projects, including fuel synthesis, hydrogen mobility, and industrial integration,
• First industrial deployments, such as the five state-supported electrolyser factories (McPhy, Elogen, Genvia, etc.).

This coordinated approach ensures that scientific advances don’t get stuck in labs—but are brought to market with industrial backing.

🌍 Export as a Strategic Priority
With French electrolyser capacity scaling up and key companies now market-ready, export is the next frontier. To support this push, the government has launched a €100 million fund dedicated to internationalisation. Measures include:

• A new "internal guarantee" scheme that helps finance hydrogen projects abroad using French technology,
• Increased technical diplomacy, including the appointment of dedicated hydrogen attachés in key embassies,
• Expanded support from Business France, Bpifrance, and AFD (France’s development agency) to help local champions win global bids.

France’s export push is backed by a larger diplomatic strategy to promote French hydrogen norms, expertise, and equipment, particularly in emerging markets and EU partnerships.

🇪🇺 Influencing the EU Hydrogen Agenda
At the European level, France is an active player in shaping the hydrogen market through:

• The IPHE (International Partnership for Hydrogen and Fuel Cells in the Economy),
• The EU Hydrogen Forum and Clean Hydrogen Alliance,
• Bilateral and multilateral negotiations on carbon intensity definitions, certification schemes, and state aid frameworks.

By taking a leadership role, France hopes to influence how hydrogen is defined, financed, and traded—both inside and outside the EU.

The Irish Connection: What’s in It for Ireland?

While France’s updated hydrogen strategy is primarily focused on its national transition, it also reflects a broader European ambition—one that Ireland could connect with in meaningful and practical ways.

Ireland, with its strong renewable energy potential—particularly in offshore wind—is increasingly exploring the role hydrogen might play in its future energy system. Though at an earlier stage of development compared to some of its European partners, Ireland has already begun to position itself through strategy consultations, pilot projects, and international engagement.

France’s approach may offer useful insights and avenues for collaboration, particularly in the areas of research, technology deployment, and regulatory alignment. Both countries participate in key European programmes such as Horizon Europe and the Clean Hydrogen Partnership, providing a ready-made framework for cooperation.

Potential opportunities for collaboration include:

• Joint research and innovation, particularly on electrolysis technologies, hydrogen storage, and synthetic fuels—areas where both countries have active academic and industrial communities.
• Industrial pilot initiatives, notably in ports or logistics hubs, where hydrogen infrastructure is being considered for freight, maritime fuels, or local energy supply.
• Training and certification programmes, where France’s early efforts to develop workforce and safety standards could inform similar initiatives in Ireland as its hydrogen sector matures.

Moreover, as the EU continues to refine its hydrogen policy—on certification, transport corridors, and funding mechanisms—closer dialogue between France and Ireland could help ensure that future standards and frameworks reflect the diversity of national approaches, including Ireland’s renewable-based perspective and France’s broader low-carbon strategy.

In that sense, France’s hydrogen roadmap is not only a national effort, but also an opportunity to build practical, European-scale links—especially in research, industrial cooperation, and skills development.

For Irish stakeholders—whether from academia, industry, or public policy—the timing is right to engage, observe closely, and explore areas where collaboration could bring mutual benefit in the years ahead.