Trump Misses New Green Hydrogen Opportunity In Europe

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Last Updated on: 26th May 2025, 03:39 pm

Oopsies indeed. Energy professionals advise that Europe needs to import more green hydrogen to meet its decarbonization targets. That would be a golden opportunity for US producers, except for the meddling fingers of the malevolently incompetent Commander-in-Chief who occupies the White House. In one early warning sign, the Port of Rotterdam has just skipped right over US producers to ink a significant new green hydrogen deal with the leading Indian firm AM Green.

The Green Hydrogen Solution

Europe needs more clean energy, and the US is now in a poor position to help supply it now that the US has committed to a fossil-centric energy policy. Whether intentionally or not, US President Donald Trump keeps proving his worth as a Russian asset every day. One need look no farther than his disconnect with US allies in Europe and his murderous waffling over Ukraine.

Europe has been scrambling to reduce its dependence on Russian energy ever since Vladimir Putin launched an unprovoked attack on the country in February of 2022. After three years of brutal war, international sanctions have helped pressure Russia to pull back, but this week Trump declined new opportunities to force Putin’s hand.

Against this backdrop, Europe does present opportunities LNG (liquid natural gas) producers around the world, at least over the short term. However, the EU is also seeking to decarbonize its economy. Green hydrogen offers an alternative to LNG that can help set Russia back on its heels and help decarbonize the global economy all at once.

Hydrogen Analysts To EU: Focus, Focus, Focus

The EU has adopted a jack-of-all-trades strategy that embraces green hydrogen as a clean transportation fuel as well as a substitute for natural gas in buildings, only to meet with resistance from off-takers dissuaded by high costs among other factors.

The US think tank Rocky Mountain Institute is among those advocating for a more focused approach that leaves vehicle and building decarbonization to the electrification field. Instead, they advise EU policy makers to target the low-hanging fruit of industrial applications for hydrogen, where electrification is difficult if not impractical.

Even so, RMI advises that a domestic green hydrogen supply gap will persist in Europe over the coming years even under a more restrained goal-setting scenario. The solution, of course, is to seek additional supplies overseas.

Trump To US: No Green Hydrogen For You!

US green hydrogen producers should have been among the first in line to fill the green hydrogen supply gap in Europe. After all, the US already has long term fuel supply chain relationships with stakeholders in Europe including the Port of Rotterdam.

The US green hydrogen industry also received a burst of adrenaline during the Biden administration, when the Energy Department oversaw the creation and funding of the new $7 billion Regional Clean Hydrogen Hubs program. The main focus was on green hydrogen gas pushed from water with renewable electricity. Biomass extraction was another renewable hydrogen avenue supported by the program It. also included a carve-out for natural as as required by law, but most of the emphasis was on renewable resources and supply chain diversification.

The stage was set for the US to export green hydrogen to Europe, but red flags began to pop up after the election of Trump to a second term last fall. A consortium of investors has already been pursuing green hydrogen export opportunities from North Africa to the EU via pipeline across the Mediterranean Sea for example. Belgium was also pursuing sustainable H2 supply options with Canada by the time Trump took office on January 20.

Then there’s Ukraine, which has been advocating for EU admission partly on the strength of its ability to export sustainable H2 to points west, including biomass as well as wind and solar energy.

Sure enough, upon taking office in January Trump put the Hydrogen Hubs program on ice, dampening investor enthusiasm on the idea of producing green hydrogen in the US.

Meanwhile, Over In India…

India is one of the nations that has continued to pursue a strong, consistent green H2 policy, and all that hard work is beginning to pay off. On May 26, the India-based green hydrogen producer AM Green and the Port of Rotterdam Authority announced a Memorandum of Understanding to collaborate on a new “green energy supply chain” between the two nations.

The two partners drew attention to the growing hydrogen infrastructure at the Port, referring to Rotterdam as “a key hydrogen carriers entry point,” while also taking note of the need for related adjustments to Port facilities.

“Furthermore, the partnership will jointly support the development of strategic port infrastructure for safe distribution of hydrogen-based fuels and products, and link India’s Net Zero Industrial Clusters to Europe, enabling exports of up to 1,000,000 tons annually,” they explained.

“The envisaged supply chain can enable trade of green fuels up to USD 1 Billon between the two economies,” they elaborated.

The immediate aim of the partnership is enlist offtakers to support AM Green’s green ammonia operation in Kakinada, in India, leveraging Rotterdam’s position as a “critical logistics and hydrogen hub” that serves as the point of entry for about 13% of total energy demand in Europe. Am Green anticipates that the green ammonia will be deployed to produce SAF (sustainable aviation fuel) in Europe through the e-fuels route. Also called electrofuels or solar fuels, e-fuels combine green hydrogen with waste carbon to produce drop-in replacements for fossil fuels.

AM Green has set a capacity goal of 5,000,000 tons of green ammonia by 2030 for the Kakinada campus, which it states is the equivalent tof 1,000,000 tons of green hydrogen.

The Green Hydrogen Revolution Continues

While all this is happening, China has also emerged as a global green hydrogen leader, reportedly nailing down about 50% of global production capacity as of earlier this year and plenty more is on the way.

As for the US, there is plenty of bad news to spread around. However, US presidents come and go, and Trump is on track to leave the White House — peacefully — on January 20, 2029, which is just around the corner.

During a BloombergNEF energy conference in New York City earlier this year, analysts observed that the global green hydrogen industry is floundering in many markets. However, nations like India and China are in it for the long haul. Momentum also continues to build in Europe. In addition to Ukraine, other former Soviet satellite nations are leaning on domestically sourced, sustainable H2 to buttress themselves against further Russian aggression.

All is not lost for US producers. California-based Infinium, for example, has announced plans to expand its existing green hydrogen and e-fuels footprint in Texas, including export opportunities for both green hydrogen and e-SAF. After all, US presidents come and go…

Image (cropped): The Port of Rotterdam is adding more green hydrogen to its existing H2 infrastructure, under a new collaboration with the Indian firm AM Green (courtesy of Port of Rotterdam).