Hydrogen Connections DACH 2025 – Agenda

09:00

Registration desk opens

10:00

Conference Opening: Mr Derek Michalski, Chief Executive Officer, The Voice of Renewables and TBA

10:30

Keynote Address: Ministry of Energy – awaiting final confirmation

10:30

Keynote Address: TBA

11:00

PANEL I: HYDROGEN POLICIES AND LEGAL ENVIRONMENT.

Panel overview:

As Europe accelerates its hydrogen ambitions, the Baltics, Nordics, and Central & Eastern Europe (CEE) regions are working to establish their place in the continent’s evolving hydrogen economy. This panel brings together policy leaders, regulators, and legal experts to explore how national hydrogen strategies are being developed and implemented, and what legal, regulatory, and market frameworks are required to attract investment and build cross-border hydrogen infrastructure.

We will examine how these regions align with the EU policies, like Hydrogen Strategy, RED III, Clean Industrial Deal, and Fit for 55, while also identifying gaps and challenges in permitting, certification, and regulation of supply and demand side. Particular attention will be paid to the interplay between national goals and regional cooperation, hydrogen valley projects, and the importance of clear, bankable legal structures to support private-sector participation.

Key Discussion Points:

• Transposition and implementation of EU legislation status (REDIII, Gas decarbonisation and hydrogen package) and development of national legislation, including the timing of legal acts.
• Policy goals – how hydrogen and e-fuels stand out in national energy policies and how those are aligned with wide EU policy.
• How recent EU policy moves, like Clean Industrial Deal, Action Plan for Affordable Energy and upcoming European Grid Package, change the picture.
• What policy instruments to be used to incentivise and de-risk development of hydrogen value chain – what are priorities, and plans.
• How legal framework roll-out will aid hydrogen production and consumption.
• Main challenges foreseen by policymakers and market players.

Audience Takeaways:

• Understand where each region stands in terms of hydrogen strategy and legislation — and how this impacts market development and timelines.
• Gain insights into how EU-level regulation is being transposed locally and how companies can prepare for upcoming compliance demands. Learn about the key contractual and regulatory hurdles in project structuring, certification, and offtake agreements.
• Hear what investors and developers are looking for in terms of legal and regulatory bankability, risk mitigation, and permitting clarity.

SPEAKERS:

• Mr Andrius Šimkus, Energy Counsel, Sorainen – Panel Moderator

11:40

Networking Break

12:20

PANEL II: HYDROGEN DEMAND.

Presentation: Mr Gian Schelling, Global Business Development Manager Renewables & Green Hydrogen, Hitachi Energy – Bringing H2 projects to successful FID: Challenges, opportunities and support for bankability.

Panel overview:

As green hydrogen supply chains develop across Europe, demand-side readiness remains the critical driver of momentum. This session will examine current and emerging hydrogen demand across the Baltic States, Nordic countries, and Central & Eastern Europe, focusing on industrial decarbonisation, heavy transport, power balancing, and hydrogen exports.

The panel will feature industrial and transport sector offtakers, policymakers, and market analysts discussing real demand signals, challenges in stimulating adoption, and how demand frameworks and incentives are evolving. We will also explore what buyers in sectors like fertilisers, steel, shipping and aviation need to see for the use of hydrogen to become viable – and bankable – at scale.

Key Discussion Points:

• Compliance market – when it starts and how big it is in the region. How RFNBO quotas from EU regulations for transport, industry, marine and aviation are reflected nationally and is there a need for anything additional.
• Compliance market • Is there a room for voluntary and market-based use of clean hydrogen. Which sectors does it concern.– when it starts and how big it is in the region. How RFNBO quotas from EU regulations for transport, industry, marine and aviation are reflected nationally and is there a need for anything additional.
• What are the prospects of E-fuels sector development.
• Hydrogen for mobility: what are the perspectives and challenges for development of H2 refuelling stations and what types of consumers would be using them. How competition with other fuels evolve.
• Biogenic CO2 carbon capture potential and development. How it can be aligned with E-fuels market.
• Incentives for hydrogen consumption for transportation and industry – what instruments are in place and what are needed, what is financial gap to close.

Audience Takeaways:

• Understand which sectors are likely to drive hydrogen demand growth, and the unique market dynamics in the Baltics, Nordics, and CEE.
• Learn what makes hydrogen bankable today – and what risks remain. Gain clarity on how the regions balance export ambitions with local decarbonisation needs – and where opportunities lie for infrastructure developers.
• Learn about the most effective policy tools – like CfDs, industrial strategies, quotas and financing instruments – used to activate hydrogen demand.
• Hear directly from industrial users on what they require in terms of pricing, reliability, regulation, and infrastructure to adopt hydrogen at scale.
• Understand what demand-side clarity means for project bankability, HPA structuring, and investment attraction across the hydrogen value chain.

SPEAKERS:

• Ms Barbara Zuiderwijk, Managing Director, Green Giraffe

13:00

Networking Break

13:40

Panel sponsor:

PANEL III: HYDROGEN PRODUCTION.

Presentation: Mr Vytautas Ruolia, Chief Executive Officer, Renwise

Panel overview:

The Baltics, Nordics, and Central & Eastern Europe (CEE) are emerging as critical frontiers in Europe’s green hydrogen build-out. This panel will explore how these regions are advancing hydrogen and its derivatives production through renewable-powered electrolysis, industrial partnerships, and infrastructure readiness. With the EU Hydrogen Bank and national funding mechanisms starting to unlock capital, countries are racing to deploy viable projects that align with decarbonisation goals and create new export opportunities.

Bringing together developers, policymakers, and technology providers, the session will focus on how to scale up hydrogen production responsibly and competitively while navigating permitting, grid access, and water use. We will also assess how projects can be de-risked through strategic offtake agreements, co-location, and integrated planning.

Key Discussion Points:

• Hydrogen and its derivatives production potential – overall perspectives in the region; update on projects in progress and planned.
• Hydrogen export options – prerequisites and potential; local demand and usage prioritization. What is the business case and the prospects of export of hydrogen in pure form, or as E-fuels or other derivatives.
• Critical factors to be implemented to allow hydrogen build-out in the region, like availability and the price of electricity, clarity of regulations and legal, offtake, infrastructure (transport and storage) and other investment conditions. Which of these are present or lacking.
• Other pathways to produce renewable and low-carbon hydrogen (rather than electrolysis) – what they are, what is potential in the region, update on existing and planned projects, factors determining their success.

Audience Takeaways:

• Gain insights into where green hydrogen production is taking off across the Baltics, Nordics, and CEE – and which players are leading the way.
• Understand the key factors driving competitive production and where the infrastructure is needed to scale electrolysis with renewable energy inputs.
• Learn about available funding schemes, how to structure bankable projects, and the role of EU and national financial instruments
• Discover how to mitigate project risks through offtake agreements, partnerships, and regulatory alignment.

SPEAKERS:

• Mr Vytautas Ruolia, Chief Executive Officer, Renwise – Panel Moderator

14:20

Networking Break

15:00

Panel sponsor:

PANEL IV: HYDROGEN AND ELECTRICITY MARKET INTEGRATION.

Presentation: Mr Aistis Radavičius, Chief Development Officer, Renwise

Panel overview:

As hydrogen begins to take a central role in Europe’s energy transition, its successful deployment depends heavily on its integration with the electricity market. In the Baltics, Nordics, and Central & Eastern Europe (CEE), this means designing systems that support renewable-based electrolysis, enable grid balancing, and promote flexibility.

This session explores how hydrogen production and consumption can be embedded into electricity markets in a way that supports decarbonization, reliability, and system efficiency. Experts will examine the implications for grid operators, market design, demand response, and cross-border trade. The session also covers how hydrogen hubs, power purchase agreements (PPAs), and capacity markets can evolve to support this integration.

Key Discussion Points:

• Hydrogen production emerging as the largest and relatively flexible new consumer of renewable energy – how it will influence development of generation assets.
• How hydrogen sector is fit to serve electricity market flexibility needs – primarily ancillary services and balancing. What will the implications for the electricity system be?
• Hydrogen offtakes – on- and off-grid, the need for structured PPAs. How high sensitivity of H2 production to electricity price shall be addressed.
• Grid tariffication – the need for lower and dynamic grid tariffs to incentivise both connection to the energy grid and flexibility of H2 production. What solutions are expected there.

Audience Takeaways:

• Learn how hydrogen can enhance grid stability, act as a flexible load, and support high-renewable energy systems.
• Gain insights into how electricity market rules must adapt to support electrolysis, including time-of-use pricing, flexibility incentives, and balancing market access.
• Understand how grid operators and project developers can work together to plan for grid infrastructure that minimises congestion and maximises efficiency.
• Explore opportunities for hydrogen to link the electricity market with industry, transport, and heating – creating integrated energy ecosystems.
• Discover how integrated electricity-hydrogen systems can improve project bankability, support long-term PPAs, and enable capacity market participation.

SPEAKERS:

• Mr Aistis Radavičius, Chief Development Officer, Renwise – Panel Moderator

15:40

Networking Break

16:20

PANEL V: HYDROGEN NETWORK AND STORAGE.

Presentation: Mr Louis Londe, Technical Director, Geostock

Panel overview:

The Baltics, Nordics, and Central & Eastern Europe (CEE) being one of key regions with the abundance of resources for massive hydrogen build-out for all European needs, the availability and the timing of connecting and storage infrastructure there is of critical role. This panel will explore the ways, conditions and the timing for the establishment of such infrastructure, what are the goals and the challenges ahead. And what policy instruments and decisions are critical to proceed and advance the relevant projects.

Bringing together hydrogen infrastructure developers, policymakers, and industry players, the session will focus on how to align development of infrastructure with building up of supply and demand projects. And how the conditions for the access to infrastructure should be designed in a way to fit the needs from hydrogen and power markets perspective. We will also look at opportunities coming from long-term storage and the challenges creating initial capacities.

Key Discussion Points:

• NBHC and other major transport corridors – their importance, current status of development, further requirements to speed up their deployment, what is competition and co-operation of separate corridors. When we should expect open seasons and capacity booking procedures to be announced.
• National hydrogen network development – how dialogue with the industry and mapping of it is ongoing, what are requirements, design, timeframe and pre-conditions.
• Balancing hydrogen network without storage. Expected lengths of balancing periods and implications for H2 production, consumption and electricity markets.
• Needs for storage and relevance of it from the market perspective. Location plans and time frame for the first underground storage facility in the region to be operational.
• Other hydrogen storage potential in the region.

Audience Takeaways:

• Understand where hydrogen pipelines and storage infrastructure are planned or under development across the Baltics, Nordics, and CEE.
• Learn about the opportunities and technical challenges of repurposing existing gas infrastructure for hydrogen transmission.
• Discover how large-scale hydrogen storage can support grid balancing, seasonal energy shifts, and energy security.
• Gain insights into the emerging cross-border hydrogen corridors and how alignment between TSOs, market players and regulators is progressing.
• Identify the key policy, regulatory, and financial tools needed to fast-track hydrogen infrastructure and attract infrastructure-scale investment.

SPEAKERS:

• Mr Louis Londe, Technical Director, Geostock

17:00

End of the conference.