France has been one of European hydrogen frontrunners. In the race for technological leadership, France can draw on its surplus nuclear power and a significant renewable energy potential, world-class innovation clusters, strong political support at the national and regional level, and the presence of several global-scale private players. At the same time, with its strong emphasis on energy independence, France has been sceptical about the EU’s vision of large-scale hydrogen imports and reluctant to actively promote a cross-European hydrogen infrastructure.
