Czech Republic

Country: Czech Republic

Document type: National Hydrogen Strategy of the Czech Republic: Update (English language summary)

Released: July 2024

The strategy presents a three phased approach to industry development, with initial focus on domestic production and offtake through ‘hydrogen valleys’, progressing to hydrogen imports into the 2030s and 2040s (to act as a spur for a significant reduction in the price of hydrogen) before a return focus on domestic production using newly developed technologies.

First stage: Local Islands (until 2030) – focuses on creating hydrogen valleys with linked production and consumption of renewable hydrogen. By 2030, the goal is to produce approximately 20,000 tons of renewable hydrogen per year / new electrolyser capacity of 400 MWe.

Second phase: Global Bridges (2030-2045) – focuses on the import of renewable hydrogen using a Europe-wide network of hydrogen pipelines. Planned projects such as the Central European Hydrogen Corridor and the Czech German Hydrogen Interconnector would enable the Czech Republic to become part of the European hydrogen market.

Third stage: New Technology (after 2045) – focuses on the production of renewable and low-carbon hydrogen in the Czech Republic using newly developed technologies.

In October 2023, the EC approved, under the State Aid Temporary Crisis and Transition Framework, a €2.5 billion Czech scheme to help manufacturing companies decarbonise their production processes and improve their energy efficiency to foster the transition to a net-zero economy. Under this scheme, which will be fully funded through the EU Modernisation Fund, the aid will take the form of direct grants.  The scheme will be open to companies active in sectors subject to the EU ETS, including energy-intensive industries, such as refineries and companies active in the production of heavy metals, construction materials and chemical products. In order to be eligible, companies aiming to reduce greenhouse gas emissions need to either electrify their production processes or switch from the use of fossil fuels to renewable hydrogen or renewable hydrogen-derived fuels.

In March 2025, the EC approved, under the State aid Temporary Crisis and Transition Framework, a €960 million Czech scheme to support investments for the production of strategic equipment (namely batteries, solar panels, wind turbines, heat-pumps, electrolysers and carbon capture usage and storage), as well as key components designed and primarily used as direct input for the production of such equipment or related critical raw materials necessary for their production.

 

Reviewed: March 2025