Market consultation for the Bilateral German-Australian H2Global funding window

In September 2023, Germany and Australia signed a Joint Declaration of Intend within the framework of their energy partnership, which foresees the development of a joint auction for green hydrogen products. This is to be carried out under the H2Global double auction model. The joint auction aims to support the global market ramp-up for green hydrogen through secure purchase agreements and regular price signals. To this end, the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWE) will provide up to 200 million euros from the Climate and Transformation Fund (KTF) in the coming years. The Australian government, represented by the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water, is participating to the same extent.

So far, the international ramp-up of hydrogen has mainly failed due to the difference between the high costs of producing renewable hydrogen and the lower willingness to pay of buyers. In the joint German-Australian auction, these difference costs are to be shared equally.

To design the auction and to comply with EU state aid requirements, the BMWE is conducting a public market consultation. The BMWE invites all affected companies to participate in the market consultation. The questionnaire, which describes the measure and poses specific questions to the companies, is available in English at the following link until 16 February 2026.

H2Global is an innovative instrument to promote a timely and effective technology and market ramp-up of green hydrogen and hydrogen derivatives. The implementation and further development of H2Global is carried out by the non-profit H2Global Foundation, whose subsidiary HINT.CO GmbH uses the funds provided to balance any potential difference between the competitively determined supply and demand prices. In addition to the planned German-Australian auction, Germany is also conducting a joint auction with the Netherlands, with Canada, as well as its own tenders to promote the production of renewable hydrogen.