European clean hydrogen projects: a practical tracker for what’s actually being built
The European Clean Hydrogen Observatory’s “Hydrogen production and consumption projects” map is one of the most practical public sources for tracking which clean hydrogen projects are already operating or under construction across Europe. For Latvia and the Baltics, it’s also a useful reference point for project developers—showing where real implementation is happening, what types of projects move forward, and how production links to nearby demand.
NEWS
HydrogenLatvia
2/24/20262 min read
Hydrogen discussions in Europe can move faster than projects on the ground. Announcements, MoUs, and strategy documents are useful signals, but they don’t always answer the practical question: what is already operating, and what is under construction right now?
A good reference point for that reality check is the European Clean Hydrogen Observatory’s page on hydrogen production and consumption projects. It brings together projects across Europe that are explicitly tagged as in operation or under construction, and presents them in a way that is easy to scan, compare, and revisit over time.
A quick snapshot of progress (Europe)
Based on the Observatory’s latest figures:
238 clean hydrogen production and consumption projects are in operation or under construction in Europe.
Total clean hydrogen project production capacity in operation or in construction: 5,052.2 MW.
As of December 2025, 140 water electrolysis hydrogen production projects (≥0.5 MWel) were in operation, totalling 571.7 MWel.
A further 97 water electrolysis projects were under construction, expected to add 3,272.5 MWel once operational (by 2029).
By number of projects, the top three countries are Germany (67), France (25), and Norway (18) (projects either in operation or under construction).
Beyond water electrolysis, the database also identifies 1 non-electrolytic project in operation (1.92 kton/year) and 4 SMR+CCS plants under construction (315 kton/year expected).
On the demand side, the mobility sector leads by number of projects (93 across Europe). When projects under construction become operational, refining (27 projects) and steel (6 projects) are expected to consume 66% of the 953 kilotons of clean hydrogen expected to be produced in Europe.
What the Observatory page is useful for
This is not a marketing list. It functions more like a lightweight implementation tracker that helps you:
Follow project delivery: see where activity is moving from planning into execution
Compare project types: production projects vs. consumption/offtake projects, and how they cluster
Understand geography and demand: where hydrogen supply is being built close to industrial demand, ports, or mobility corridors
Spot patterns: repeated technology choices, recurring end-use sectors, and the kinds of project configurations that keep appearing across countries
Why this matters for Latvia and the Baltics
For Latvia and the wider Baltic region, the value is twofold.
First, it provides a European benchmark for what “implementation” looks like today—beyond general targets. That helps when discussing timelines, maturity, and the gap between policy ambition and project execution.
Second, it can serve as an inspiration library for project development. Not as a template to copy, but as a structured set of examples that can trigger better questions locally:
Where could hydrogen production realistically connect to stable demand in Latvia?
Which industrial consumers are being prioritised elsewhere, and why?
What kinds of project sizes and configurations are reaching construction stage?
What role do ports, industrial parks, and cross-border corridors play in projects that progress?
Over time, regularly checking this map can help keep local project work grounded in what is demonstrably being delivered across Europe.
A simple way to use it in practice
If you’re working on hydrogen or PtX project development, consider using the page as a recurring reference:
Filter for projects that are in operation and under construction
Note the end-use sector (industry, mobility, ports, etc.)
Look for supply–demand proximity and infrastructure context
Track changes every few months to see what is progressing and where momentum is building