What Clean Hydrogen does

Clean Hydrogen Partnership - legally the Clean Hydrogen Joint Undertaking (Clean Hydrogen JU) - is a European Union public-private partnership established under Horizon Europe to fund and coordinate research, innovation, and deployment of clean hydrogen technologies across Europe. The organisation, headquartered in Brussels and headquartered under the European Commission, succeeded the Fuel Cells and Hydrogen (FCH) JU (2008-2013) and FCH 2 JU (2014-2020) and was constituted in its current form in 2021. It does not sell commercial products; instead it administers grant funding - including the €105 million Call for Proposals 2026 and the €12.5 billion Hydrogen Valleys Facility - and provides free Project Development Assistance (PDA) to hydrogen valley projects, executed via implementation partners Roland Berger and Worley, with a separate technical subcontractor for the European Hydrogen Safety Panel managed by an IDOM/ARIEMA consortium.

Its core technology and platform assets cover the full hydrogen value chain: production (especially renewable hydrogen via water electrolysis), storage, distribution, and end-use via fuel cells and refuelling stations. Operationally, it runs (i) the H2-Stations platform providing harmonised, AFIR-compliant real-time data on European hydrogen refuelling stations (delivery partner Spilett New Technologies with ERM and EMCEL); (ii) the Hydrogen Valley Platform (H2VP) showcasing 90+ flagship projects across 34 countries with €152B cumulative investment volume; (iii) the H2V Knowledge Centre (launched May 2026) for commercial, technical, regulatory and governance content; and (iv) the European Hydrogen Incident and Accident Database (HIAD 3.0) plus the European Hydrogen Safety Panel for independent safety guidance. It also operates the European Hydrogen Sustainability and Circularity Panel and convenes flagship events including European Hydrogen Week.

Its business model is grant administration rather than commercial revenue capture: JU funding of €328 million has been allocated across 27 hydrogen valley projects in 23 European countries, drawing on Horizon Europe and RePowerEU (the latter adding €200 million in 2022). Go-to-market is event-driven and partnership-led, anchored on annual Calls for Proposals, European Hydrogen Week, Hydrogen Valley Days, PDA Info Days, and Memoranda of Cooperation signed with national and regional managing authorities (ten signed through 2024). The primary customer segments are European regions and cities building hydrogen ecosystems and hydrogen project developers moving from pre-feasibility to final investment decision; secondary segments are EU member-state managing authorities and hydrogen industry stakeholders seeking safety expertise. As of late 2024 the Hydrogen Valleys Facility had launched with a €12.5 billion budget and a target of 50 operational or under-construction hydrogen valleys in Europe by 2030.

Name

Clean Hydrogen

Legal name

Clean Hydrogen Joint Undertaking

Website

https://clean-hydrogen.europa.eu

Company type

Public

Founded year

2021

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Clean Hydrogen Partnership (Clean Hydrogen Joint Undertaking) is an EU public-private partnership under Horizon Europe that funds and coordinates clean hydrogen research, innovation, and Hydrogen Valley deployment across Europe via annual calls and free Project Development Assistance.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Clean Energy Research Funding

NAICS

Environmental Consulting Services (54162), Administration of Air and Water Resource and Solid Waste Management Programs (92411)

SIC

Gas & Other Services Combined (4932), Electric, Gas & Sanitary Services (4900)

akta.pro primary industry

Hydrogen (Industrial & Mobility) (IMAEACAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Hydrogen Production Supply & Offtake (Green/Blue H2) for Utility Blending (EUAJAJAF), Hydrogen Blending Strategy & Regulatory Readiness (EUAJAJAE), Dedicated Pure Hydrogen Pipelines (TLAGAGAC), Hydrogen CHP (Fuel Cell & H2-Ready Turbines) (EUACAKAF)

Keywords

• Clean hydrogen funding
• Hydrogen research innovation
• Hydrogen valleys
• Project development assistance
• Hydrogen refuelling data

Headquarters

HQ city

Saint-gilles

HQ country

Belgium

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Others, Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. EU Public Funding: The Clean Hydrogen Partnership is a public-private partnership funded by the European Union through Horizon Europe and related programmes. It provides grant funding to hydrogen research, demonstration, and deployment projects rather than generating commercial revenue. Funding comes from EU budget allocations including RePowerEU contributions of €200 million specifically for hydrogen valleys.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

The Clean Hydrogen Partnership is an EU public-private joint undertaking that funds and coordinates clean hydrogen research, demonstration and deployment across Europe. It awards competitive grants through Calls for Proposals and provides free Project Development Assistance, safety expertise, and data platforms for hydrogen valleys and refuelling stations.

Product overview

Clean Hydrogen Partnership is a European Union initiative that operates as a funding and coordination body rather than a traditional technology product company. Its core offerings include the H2-Stations platform (providing harmonised hydrogen refuelling station data across Europe), the Hydrogen Valley Platform (a global information sharing platform for hydrogen valley projects), and the Project Development Assistance Programme (offering tailored expert support to advance hydrogen valley projects toward final investment decisions). The Hydrogen Valleys Facility (with EUR 12.5 billion budget) provides technical, financial, and legal support through PDA programs. Additional offerings include the European Hydrogen Safety Panel (providing independent safety expertise), the H2V Knowledge Centre (providing tailored hydrogen-related content and webinars), and the European Hydrogen Sustainability and Circularity Panel. The organization also manages major funding calls, with the 2026 Call for Proposals offering €105 million for hydrogen innovation.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Hydrogen Valleys Facility: A EUR 12.5 billion facility to accelerate the deployment of Hydrogen Valleys across Europe by providing Project Development Assistance (PDA), including technical, financial, and legal support to help projects move from concept to implementation.
• European Hydrogen Safety Panel (EHSP)
• H2-Stations
• European Hydrogen Sustainability and Circularity Panel (EHS&CP)
• Hydrogen Valley Platform (H2VP)

Products and services

• H2-Stations A central access point providing reliable, harmonised and up-to-date data on hydrogen refuelling stations (HRS) across Europe. Offers free and open access to both static and dynamic HRS data, including a European HRS availability map, dedicated dashboards for operators and national bodies, and supporting documentation for AFIR compliance.
• Hydrogen Valley Platform (H2V) A global information-sharing platform showcasing hydrogen flagship projects driving the green energy transition. Features integrated hydrogen projects along the value chain, providing insights into Hydrogen Valleys worldwide including investment volumes and development stages.
• Project Development Assistance (PDA) Programme A programme providing tailored expert assistance to advance Hydrogen Valleys towards Final Investment Decision. Offers two support tracks: PDA light (6 weeks) for early-stage projects and PDA plus (12 weeks) for more mature projects, covering commercial, technical, regulatory, and governance dimensions.
• European Hydrogen Safety Panel (EHSP) An independent safety expertise body providing guidance to the Clean Hydrogen Joint Undertaking at both project and programme levels. Acts as a knowledge hub, promoting hydrogen safety education and supporting the scaling up of hydrogen energy while ensuring safety aspects are adequately managed.
• Hydrogen Valleys Facility A facility with a EUR 12.5 billion budget aimed at accelerating the deployment of Hydrogen Valleys in Europe by providing technical, financial and legal support through dedicated Project Development Assistance (PDA) to project promoters.
• H2V Knowledge Centre A knowledge portal providing up-to-date tailored hydrogen-related content and interactive webinars with international hydrogen experts and Hydrogen Valley practitioners. Offers self-service knowledge material covering overarching, commercial, technical, regulatory, and valley governance topics.
• European Hydrogen Sustainability and Circularity Panel (EHS&CP) A panel focused on hydrogen sustainability and circularity priorities, holding workshops and contributing to the development of a truly sustainable hydrogen economy.
• Call for Proposals Annual competitive grant calls open to consortia of companies, research organisations, and public bodies across Europe funding hydrogen research and innovation projects; the 2026 call offered EUR 105 million.

Quantifiable outcome

• 27 hydrogen valley projects supported with €328 million JU funding, representing over €1.6 billion in total project costs
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and supporting.

• Roland BergercoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 January 2024Mandated consulting firm for Project Development Assistance (PDA) services within the Hydrogen Valleys Facility, providing expert support in commercial, technical, regulatory, and governance dimensions to advance hydrogen valley projects toward final investment decisions. Works with technical subcontractor Worley.
• WorleycoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 January 2024Technical subcontractor to Roland Berger for the Hydrogen Valleys Facility PDA programme, providing specialised expertise to hydrogen valley projects advancing toward final investment decisions.
• Médio Tejo Region (Portugal), Castilla y Léon (Spain), Wielkopolska Region (Poland), Košice Self-governing Region (Slovakia), Noord-Holland (The Netherlands), SloveniaflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Six additional managing authorities signing MoC during European Hydrogen Week 2024 for structured hydrogen R&I cooperation.
• Croatia Managing AuthorityflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023First of ten managing authorities selected to receive structured technical cooperation through Memoranda of Cooperation, signed during Hydrogen Valleys Days 2024.
• Friuli-Venezia Giulia Region, ItalyflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Regional managing authority selected for structured cooperation on hydrogen R&I, one of the first MoC signatories.
• BulgariaflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023National managing authority selected for structured cooperation, MoC signed by Deputy Minister Veselina Mincheva and Executive Director Valerie Bouillon-Delporte during Hydrogen Valleys Days 2024.
• Mission Innovation Hydrogen Valley PlatformflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021International collaboration launched under Mission Innovation's Renewable and Clean Hydrogen innovation challenge, featuring hydrogen valley projects globally with EUR 152 billion in investment as of June 2024.
• European Hydrogen Valleys Partnership (EHV-S3P)flagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019Partnership under the Smart Specialisation Platform facilitating knowledge exchange between regions, strengthening the European hydrogen value chain, and promoting the hydrogen valleys concept.
• Spilett New TechnologiescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary delivery partner for the H2-Stations platform, Europe's trusted hub for hydrogen refuelling station data, developed with support from ERM and EMCEL.
• ERMsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerSupporting partner in the development and delivery of the H2-Stations platform for hydrogen refuelling station data harmonisation across Europe.
• EMCELsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerSupporting partner in the development and delivery of the H2-Stations platform for hydrogen refuelling station data harmonisation across Europe.
• IDOMcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerLeading consortium partner for the European Hydrogen Safety Panel (EHSP), overseeing administrative, financial, and technical management of hydrogen safety activities under the Clean Hydrogen Joint Undertaking.
• ARIEMAcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerConsortium partner with IDOM for the European Hydrogen Safety Panel, providing technical management for hydrogen safety expertise and panel activities.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• Korea Hydrogen Industry Association:
• NOW GmbH (National Organisation Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technology, Germany): NOW GmbH coordinates the implementation of Germany's National Hydrogen Strategy on behalf of the Federal Government. It performs a national-level funding and coordination role analogous to the Clean Hydrogen Partnership at the EU level, making it a strong structural peer in Germany's hydrogen ecosystem.
• UK Department for Energy Security and Net Zero Hydrogen Production Team: The UK government runs a national hydrogen programme with funding allocation, cluster development, and business model support that closely parallels the Partnership's Hydrogen Valleys and PDA programmes. It is a UK-focused counterpart serving similar hydrogen developer and regional authority segments.

Direct peers

• Hydrogen Europe: Hydrogen Europe is the leading European industry association representing the hydrogen value chain, covering fuel cell and hydrogen technologies. It works closely with the Clean Hydrogen Partnership as a private member and convener of industrial stakeholders, making it the most directly comparable organisation in the European hydrogen ecosystem.
• Mission Innovation Hydrogen Valley Platform: The Mission Innovation Hydrogen Valley Platform is a global public-information platform co-led by the Clean Hydrogen Partnership that tracks hydrogen valley projects worldwide. It is functionally intertwined with the Partnership's Hydrogen Valley Platform product and shares common stakeholders and data infrastructure.
• International Partnership for Hydrogen and Fuel Cells in the Economy (IPHE): IPHE is an intergovernmental partnership of over 20 countries that facilitates international cooperation on hydrogen and fuel cell technologies. It mirrors the Clean Hydrogen Partnership's coordinating role at a global level and serves as a counterpart for cross-border hydrogen policy alignment.

Broad incumbents

• European Hydrogen Bank: The European Hydrogen Bank is an EU-level financing instrument launched in 2023 to support the uptake of renewable hydrogen via auctions and supply/demand matchmaking. It overlaps directly with the Partnership's mission to scale hydrogen deployment and represents a parallel EU funding channel for the same target ecosystem.
• Hydrogen Council: The Hydrogen Council is a global CEO-led initiative bringing together leading energy, automotive, and industrial companies to accelerate hydrogen deployment. It shares the Partnership's goal of hydrogen scaling but operates through private-sector leadership and corporate commitments rather than public funding.
• U.S. Department of Energy Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technologies Office: The U.S. DOE Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technologies Office is the primary US federal funding and coordination body for hydrogen R&D, analogous in mission to the Clean Hydrogen Partnership. Both bodies fund hydrogen production, storage, and end-use demonstration projects through grant mechanisms.

Others

• Fuel Cells and Hydrogen 2 Joint Undertaking (predecessor): The FCH 2 JU was the direct institutional predecessor of the Clean Hydrogen Partnership (operating 2014-2020), with substantially overlapping mandate, funding instruments, and project portfolio. It is the historical peer and shows the operating model the current Partnership has evolved from and improved upon.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/CleanHydrogenEU
• YouTubeyoutube.com/FCHJU
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/clean-hydrogen-partnership

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Clean Hydrogen