Ambitious coalition launches to enable first clean hydrogen shipment across Atlantic by 2026

The coalition will connect US fuel producers to heavy-industry consumers in Europe to help facilitate an inaugural shipment of clean hydrogen-based fuels by 2026, aiming to grow transatlantic trade to three million metric tons annually by the end of this decade. 

The Mission Possible Partnership (MPP), RMI, Systemiq, Power2X, and industry leaders have formed a coalition to encourage and enable shipment of the first shipment of clean hydrogen from the United States to Europe by 2026. The Transatlantic Clean Hydrogen Trade Coalition (H2TC) will concentrate on supporting first movers in the US Gulf Coast and Northwestern Europe, with the goal of facilitating trade of more than three million metric tons per year of hydrogen in the form of ammonia and methanol through this corridor by 2030. 

The breakthrough effort engages market players from suppliers to offtakers, as well as important market-making entities including major ports and associations in the United States and Europe. Coalition partners include the Center for Houston’s Future, the Port of Corpus Christi, and the Port of Rotterdam. MPP will serve as its Secretariat. The coalition is building membership, and its work has thus far been endorsed by over 20 companies central to the developing hydrogen economy including Ambient Fuels, Apex Clean Energy, Buckeye, BAES Infrastructure, Intersect Power, Linde, LyondellBasell, NextEra Energy, OCI, Shell, STX, Trafigura and Zhero. 

The announcement comes close to a year and a half after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the subsequent energy crisis, which critically affected European heavy industry. H2TC aims to significantly contribute to the EU’s goal of importing 10 million metric tons per year of renewable hydrogen by 2030. 

Clean hydrogen provides a vital substitute for fossil fuels in essential industries such as fertilizer production and steelmaking, and its derivatives are the leading alternative to highly polluting bunker fuel in maritime shipping. Producers from the US Gulf Coast are expected to be among the most cost-competitive clean hydrogen exporters to Europe, given the region’s world-class ports, existing energy infrastructure networks, access to specialized labor, and other strategic advantages.  

H2TC will grant members access to in-depth analysis of regulatory and infrastructure requirements, supply and demand matching, and integration with capital markets. Members plan to collaborate closely with US and European governments to help them attain clean energy targets and inform regulatory frameworks to enable trade. 

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