Press Release: The Hydrogen Council today announces a wave of new members to include for the first time both an Australian and Saudi company, as well as a group of financial institutions which form a new Investor Group with the aim of supporting massive scale-up of hydrogen solutions to help decarbonise sectors including transport, buildings and heavy industry. The Council today grows to 81 companies as it welcomes 22 new members, including five steering members: CNH Industrial (via IVECO), Michelin, SaudiAramco (via the Aramco Overseas Company), Schaeffler Group, and Siemens; 12 supporting members: Chart Industries, Chevron, ElringKlinger, Fortescue Metals Group, Galp, ILJIN Composites, MANN+HUMMEL, McDermott, Nikola Motor, Sinocat, Snam, and Woodside Energy; and a new Investor Group of five companies that occupy the financial space: Antin Infrastructure Partners, BNP Paribas, Crédit Agricole, John Laing, and Société Générale.
This membership announcement comes just days before the Council’s third anniversary CEO Event, to be held on 20 January in Versailles alongside French President Macron’s ChooseFrance! Summit and the World Economic Forum in Davos. This annual convening is the Hydrogen Council’s signature event that not only positions the global association as a business marketplace for the world’s top energy, mobility, and financial companies, but also provides a time for all members to assess the state of the industry and develop strategies that will lay the path ahead for the fast emerging hydrogen economy.
“We are very pleased to see continued interest from world-renowned companies who recognize the massive potential of hydrogen and share our mission of scaling up hydrogen solutions,” said Benoit Potier, Chairman and CEO of Air Liquide and Co-chair of the Hydrogen Council. “In the past three years the Hydrogen Council has boosted global collaboration and the industry is firmly positioned to scale up hydrogen solutions around the world. Increased support from new countries and investors is a testament of the strong momentum we have built. It is through this continued collaboration and the scaling up of hydrogen solutions that we will achieve the environmental and economic benefits toward a low carbon society.”
The Hydrogen Council is a CEO-led global initiative of leading energy, transport and industry companies with a united vision and long-term ambition for hydrogen to foster the energy transition. The addition of the Council’s newest members is the culmination of a year of strong progress in 2019. Across the last year, the Council engaged ministers at the Hydrogen Energy Ministerial and several other forums, established partnerships with international organisations such as IEA Hydrogen and the European Investment Bank, and hosted industry leaders as well as members of the investment community during its Investor Day at the G20 Summit. And now, the launch of the Investor Group is another step in defining and implementing specific action plans with appropriate supporting tools that will help accelerate major investment into large-scale commercialisation of hydrogen solutions across industries world-wide. It is expected that by 2050, hydrogen could meet 18% of the world’s energy demand[1] with hydrogen applications being scaled, driving down cost, and making the solutions more affordable for everyday people.
“We believe in the power of hydrogen and the role it can play in our existing energy system as well as a new cleaner one,” said Euisun Chung, Executive Vice Chairman of Hyundai Motor Group and Co-chair of the Hydrogen Council. “I continue to be inspired by the expansion of the Council’s membership and look forward to partnering with our new member companies as we continue to advocate for a clean energy future, with hydrogen at the forefront.”
Today’s membership growth brings the Hydrogen Council to a total of 81 companies that represent the full hydrogen supply chain and several regions of the world with expanding hydrogen markets. The coalition has more than quadrupled in size since its founding in 2017 by 13 members.
