Green Transition Forum 6.0
Between June 1 and 5, 2026, Sofia is hosting the sixth edition of Green Transition Forum — a major platform for discussing how Europe’s next chapter can be competitive, innovative, and secure. The five-day program brings together more than 6,500 participants, over 450 speakers and moderators, and representatives from more than 32 countries, including institutions, businesses, investors, researchers, and civil society organizations.
The context is clear: Europe’s green transition has entered the implementation phase. High energy costs, global technology competition, and the need for greater strategic autonomy are pushing the debate beyond long-term targets and regulatory frameworks. Green Transition Forum 6.0 focuses on the mechanisms that can turn decarbonization into growth, industrial modernization, and new jobs.
BGH2A Hydrogen Panel and Action Plan for Updating Bulgaria’s National Hydrogen Roadmap
Within this framework, the hydrogen panel organized by the Bulgarian Hydrogen, Fuel Cells and Energy Storage Association — BGH2A — took a prominent place on the first day of the Forum. The panel brought together representatives of European institutions, industry, academia, national hydrogen associations, and technology companies to discuss hydrogen strategy as a driver of energy security, competitiveness, and industrial leadership in Southeast Europe.
The discussion pointed to a clear direction: hydrogen technologies are moving from validation to deployment. The next phase requires predictable rules, targeted financing, industrial demand, infrastructure, demonstration projects, skills, and stronger regional connectivity.
BGH2A is already translating this direction into action through its Action Plan for Updating Bulgaria’s National Hydrogen Roadmap. Presented by Velina Kozareva, Expert in Policies and Projects at BGH2A, the Plan proposes legislative updates, financing mechanisms for hydrogen projects, and the creation of a public Hydrogen Council to bring together government institutions, energy companies, municipalities, academia, industry, and other stakeholders around a coordinated investment framework.
With this Action Plan, BGH2A positions Bulgaria as an active contributor to Southeast Europe’s emerging hydrogen economy. The goal is to build a national industrial niche within a region that needs decarbonization, new investment, industrial employment, and stronger energy connectivity.
The proposals address the missing link between strategic documents and market reality. Key measures include alignment with the European regulatory framework, development of industrial hydrogen hubs in Stara Zagora, Plovdiv, Burgas, and Varna–Devnya, deployment of up to 500 MW of electrolyzer capacity, production of up to 100,000 tons of renewable and low-carbon hydrogen annually by 2035, a dedicated financial instrument with at least EUR 100 million in capital, and a stronger Bulgarian role in the Eastern European Hydrogen Corridor together with Greece and Romania.
From Strategy to Deployment
The panel highlighted a positive European dynamic. Europe already has an established technological base, research expertise, and developing financial instruments for hydrogen. At the same time, the speakers were realistic: the hydrogen economy will need clear rules, functioning markets, offtake agreements, risk-reduction mechanisms, and demonstration projects that industry, municipalities, and citizens can experience in practice.
Bulgaria also has a good foundation in terms of expertise and positioning. Rumen Radev, Chair of the Managing Board of BGH2A and Chair of the Bulgarian Industrial Capital Association, placed the discussion in the context of regional connectivity between Bulgaria, Greece, and Romania. He recalled the 2024 joint declaration for a green hydrogen corridor from south to north and underlined that political ambition must be followed by production, infrastructure, and market demand. He also highlighted electrolyzer manufacturing as an initial step toward building capacity across the full hydrogen value chain and stressed hydrogen’s value as an industrial feedstock as well as an energy carrier.
Prof. Daria Vladikova focused on Bulgarian hydrogen initiatives and their integral role in the reagional hydrogen ecosystem. H2START — Bulgaria’s first Center of Excellence in hydrogen technologies, currently being developed at Trakia University in Stara Zagora, is combining high-tech equipment, advanced research, hydrogen education, industrial partnerships, and policy dialogue. She also highlighted ZAHYR, Bulgaria’s first hydrogen valley, which is also being developed in Stara Zagora with the participation of Trakia University. ZAHYR aims to build an integrated hydrogen ecosystem, from production and storage to transport and industrial application, with an expected capacity of up to 1,650 kg of hydrogen per day. This is the type of infrastructure Bulgaria needs to turn academic expertise into industrial applications and further scale up.
Mirela Atanasiu, Head of Unit Operations and Communication at the Clean Hydrogen Joint Undertaking, placed the discussion in the wider European context. She recalled that the European Hydrogen Strategy adopted in 2020 was built around the target of 10 million tons of domestic renewable hydrogen production and 10 million tons of imports. Today, the political and economic context has changed. Europe is moving from the Green Deal toward a stronger industrial agenda, where decarbonization, competitiveness, and resilience are increasingly addressed together. According to Atanasiu, the EU has a strong scientific and industrial base built through decades of public-private cooperation and must now stimulate technological leadership through faster deployment and investments in hydrogen valleys, skills, SMEs, start-ups, and regional ecosystems.
Ivan Delibasic, Director Advocacy at Hydrogen Europe, focused on the market framework. He described hydrogen as a sector still developing in a highly regulated environment, with separate and often insufficiently connected rules for production, infrastructure, and demand. According to him, instruments such as the EU Emissions Trading System and the Renewable Energy Directive III are important, but bankable projects are created in the “middle layer” of policy: financing, research and innovation, support for end users, offtake agreements, and mechanisms to reduce investment risk. For Central and Southeast Europe, this means more targeted support for projects that can connect production, infrastructure, and consumption.
Dr. Aivars Starikovs, Member of the Board of Hydrogen Europe and Chair of the Latvian Hydrogen Association, focused on demonstration projects and public trust. He stressed that in smaller markets such as Bulgaria and Latvia, hydrogen must be shown through real applications that citizens, municipalities, and businesses can see and use. Regional demonstrations are particularly important because smaller countries cannot build the full hydrogen value chain alone. Hydrogen therefore needs to be connected with transport, airports, ports, industry, energy systems, and local infrastructure.
Bozidar Dedus, Co-Founder of the Croatian Association for the Development and Application of Hydrogen Fuel Cells, presented the regional perspective through Croatia’s experience. He gave examples of a project in Rijeka involving a 10 MW electrolyzer and 11 MW of solar capacity, investments in hydrogen refueling stations for cars and trucks, and plans for 20 hydrogen buses in Zagreb. The North Adriatic Hydrogen Valley, bringing together Croatia, Italy, and Slovenia, was presented as a model for cross-border cooperation supported by significant European investment. His key message was that Southeast Europe can move faster through shared corridors, common infrastructure, and coordination between countries, industry, universities, and public institutions.
Nicolas Guignard, Associate at HACE, added a technology perspective to the discussion. He presented the company’s concept for using wave energy as a continuous 24/7 source of carbon-free electricity. The system uses seawater movement to drive turbines and was presented across the full value chain — production, storage, transport, and final use. His contribution reinforced the broader conclusion of the panel: hydrogen must be approached as a complete industrial and energy system
Bulgaria’s Next Step
The message from the panel was practical: Bulgaria already has scientific expertise, geographic potential, and a strategic regional position. The next step is coordinated implementation — clear regulation, functioning financial mechanisms, demonstration projects, hydrogen hubs, skills development, and active participation in regional infrastructure.
BGH2A’s Action Plan for Updating Bulgaria’s National Hydrogen Roadmap turns this direction into a practical framework for execution. It outlines how hydrogen can become a tool for competitive industry, clean energy, and a stronger Bulgarian position in the European hydrogen economy.
Support the Action Plan
BGH2A calls on institutions, industrial companies, energy companies, municipalities, research organizations, start-ups, investors, and regional partners to support the Action Plan and take part in the next phase of coordination.
Read the full text of the Plan.
Support the Action Plan here.
