People attend an exhibition during the European Hydrogen Week in Brussels, Belgium, on Nov. 18, 2024. The European Hydrogen Week, the European Union's policy conference and business forum for the hydrogen sector, kicked off in Brussels on Monday. (Xinhua/Zhao Dingzhe)
BRUSSELS, Nov. 18 (Xinhua) -- The European Hydrogen Week, the European Union's (EU) policy conference and business forum for the hydrogen sector, kicked off in Brussels on Monday.
Industry stakeholders will discuss urgent regulatory needs in the EU, decarbonization challenges, and EU's global competitiveness at panels, while an exhibition will offer a showcase of electrolyzer and fuel cell technologies, along with hydrogen trucks, buses, and cars, according to the organizers.
Featuring more than 25 sessions and nearly 200 speakers discussing related topics, the five-day event is also expected to attract some 8,000 visitors.
The EU has been viewing hydrogen as a lucrative sector and an integral component in the decarbonization of European industry, aligning with the bloc's 2030 climate targets and the ultimate goal of climate neutrality by 2050.
At a conference on Monday, Rosalinde van der Vlies, director of the Clean Planet Directorate in the EU's Directorate-General for Research and Innovation, said, "Hydrogen will continue to play a very important role for the sustainable competitiveness of our European industry."
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said earlier this month that investment in European hydrogen is set to grow by 140 percent this year. ■
People attend an exhibition during the European Hydrogen Week in Brussels, Belgium, on Nov. 18, 2024. The European Hydrogen Week, the European Union's policy conference and business forum for the hydrogen sector, kicked off in Brussels on Monday. (Xinhua/Zhao Dingzhe)
People attend an exhibition during the European Hydrogen Week in Brussels, Belgium, on Nov. 18, 2024. The European Hydrogen Week, the European Union's policy conference and business forum for the hydrogen sector, kicked off in Brussels on Monday. (Xinhua/Zhao Dingzhe)
A visitor walks past an Iveco bus during the European Hydrogen Week in Brussels, Belgium, on Nov. 18, 2024. The European Hydrogen Week, the European Union's policy conference and business forum for the hydrogen sector, kicked off in Brussels on Monday. (Xinhua/Zhao Dingzhe)
People attend an exhibition during the European Hydrogen Week in Brussels, Belgium, on Nov. 18, 2024. The European Hydrogen Week, the European Union's policy conference and business forum for the hydrogen sector, kicked off in Brussels on Monday. (Xinhua/Zhao Dingzhe)
People attend an exhibition during the European Hydrogen Week in Brussels, Belgium, on Nov. 18, 2024. The European Hydrogen Week, the European Union's policy conference and business forum for the hydrogen sector, kicked off in Brussels on Monday. (Xinhua/Zhao Dingzhe)
People attend an exhibition during the European Hydrogen Week in Brussels, Belgium, on Nov. 18, 2024. The European Hydrogen Week, the European Union's policy conference and business forum for the hydrogen sector, kicked off in Brussels on Monday. (Xinhua/Zhao Dingzhe)