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European Commission — Joint Research Centre joint-research-centre.ec.europa.eu

EU hydrogen expansion unlikely to strain most water supplies

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Announcement

The rapid expansion of renewable and low-carbon hydrogen production in Europe will require significant volumes of water. A new report from the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre (JRC) assesses how this could increase the pressure on European freshwater supply, especially in water-stressed regions such as the Iberian Peninsula. 

The JRC report examines the intersection of hydrogen deployment and water sustainability by modelling water demand for fossil-based and electrolytic hydrogen production through 2030 and 2050. The analysis is based on the assumption that the whole demand is fulfilled with freshwater. It concludes that: 

  • most plants will operate in basins with low to moderate stress; 
  • only 1 in 10 plants could face noticeable competition with other freshwater uses for agricultural, municipal or industrial consumers under pessimistic climate scenarios;
  • overall, Southern Europe faces the highest risk with Spain, Italy and Portugal.  

    • This presents a cautiously optimistic outlook but warns that careful water management strategies should be implemented pre-emptively in water-scarce regions. 

    A call for water-smart hydrogen planning 

    The report highlights that while EU water policies, such as the Water Framework Directive (WFD) and the European Water Resilience Strategy, provide a framework for sustainable management, implementation varies widely across EU countries.  

    The JRC recommends several lines of action:  

  • Alternative water sources should be prioritised when possible, particularly desalinated seawater in coastal regions. Developing solutions for increased use of wastewater or brackish water could also reduce pressure on freshwater supplies.  
  • Enhancing water efficiency. The EU’s new 10% water-use efficiency target by 2030 should be integrated into hydrogen project planning. 
  • The siting of hydrogen production hubs should be assessed against the availability of water supply at basin-level to pre-emptively neglect water conflicts. 

    • This is an extract. The publication continues at the source.

    © European Union — excerpt, reused under CC BY 4.0. Licence

    Read the original at the source: https://joint-research-centre.ec.europa.eu/jrc-news-and-updates/eu-hydrogen-expansion-unlikely-strain-most-water-supplies-2026-10-08_en

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    European Commission — Joint Research Centre — imported from official source
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    https://joint-research-centre.ec.europa.eu/node/2/rss_en RSS
    Imported
    October 08, 2026 14:30
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    3 recorded
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    https://joint-research-centre.ec.europa.eu/jrc-news-and-updates/eu-hydrogen-expansion-u...

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