Who will hold the future? Hydrogen features on the agenda of the Green Transition Forum in Sofia, Bulgaria
Green Transition Forum 5.0 in Sofia made one thing clear: wind, solar and hydro can reach their full promise when paired with green hydrogen. Hydrogen isn’t just a fuel but a storage system—yet Bulgaria needs roughly 2 000 more hours of cheap renewable electricity per year to scale H₂ technology locally, as Angelin Tsachev of ESO stressed. Božidar Dedus of the Croatian H2 Association pointed to Croatia’s €45 million Rijeka pilot (10 MW electrolyzers fed by 15 MW of wind and solar) and six planned refueling stations as proof that targeted EU funding and state incentives can spark a hydrogen economy and create a million jobs across Europe. To seize that opportunity, Bulgaria must accelerate grid interconnectivity, deploy on-site renewables with storage, and pilot H₂ in heavy transport, all while building community buy-in through local revenue sharing.
Photo: BGH2A
Motor Oil’s AVIN Unveils Greece’s First Public Hydrogen Refueling Station
Greece’s first public hydrogen refueling station has officially opened under Motor Oil’s AVIN brand near the Agioi Theodoroi refinery, marking a major milestone for green hydrogen adoption in Europe. This €3 million, EU-cofunded Connecting Europe Facility project serves both light and heavy-duty vehicles with green hydrogen currently supplied from Austria, with home-grown production set to begin in 2026 at Motor Oil’s new facility. Built by BFS, the station paves the way for two more AVIN hydrogen hubs in Akrata and Thriasio—and hydrogen will soon power Motor Oil’s own refinery and lubricants arm, LPC. Meanwhile, Greece’s TRIERES programme will trial hydrogen buses through Athens’ OSY transit agency, even as regulatory gaps (like vehicle registration rules) are addressed. Industry forecasts predict up to 20 hydrogen refueling stations in Greece and nearly 380 across Europe by 2030, driven by falling prices—currently around €15/kg—and the growing use of surplus renewable energy for green hydrogen production.
Photo: Avin-FCW
EU Parliament Urges Looser Green Hydrogen Rules to Accelerate Deployment
The European Parliament has officially urged the European Commission to revise its RFNBO Delegated Act on green hydrogen, warning that today’s rigid rules on additionality, real-time renewables matching, and local sourcing are driving up production costs and stalling EU hydrogen project development. MEPs are calling for investment-friendly, flexible guidelines—such as allowing grid-based or stored renewable power, broader time windows, and streamlined spatial requirements—that uphold environmental integrity while reducing economic barriers. As global competitors roll out generous hydrogen subsidies, lawmakers insist that pragmatic regulatory reforms and targeted support mechanisms are essential to unlock scalable green hydrogen deployment, bolster Europe’s clean energy transition, and keep the bloc on track for its 2050 net-zero goals.
Photo: European Union – EP
The European Hydrogen Observatory Rolls Out its Hydrogen Cost Calculator Guide Version 2.0
The European Hydrogen Observatory has just published Version 2 of its Levelized Cost of Hydrogen (LCOH) Calculator Manual, reflecting the latest 2024 electrolyzer CAPEX and 2023 electricity data for low-temperature electrolysis across Europe. This update refreshes all default input values and introduces a brand-new use case that lets users model how changes in economic lifetime and cost of capital affect hydrogen production costs—ensuring policymakers, investors, and project developers can run more accurate, investment-grade LCOH analyses for green hydrogen projects across the EU
Photo: European Hydrogen Observatory
