The European Commission has allocated state aid funding of €400 million to Austria and €36 million to Lithuania to support the development of electrolyser and hydrogen technologies. These investments are part of the European Hydrogen Bank's auction and aim to produce 112,000 tonnes and 13,000 tonnes of renewable hydrogen in Austria and Lithuania, respectively. The initiatives align with the Clean Industrial Deal, REPowerEU Plan, and EU Hydrogen Strategy to facilitate the decarbonisation of EU industry, reduce reliance on Russian fossil fuels, and advance the use of renewable fuels in transport and industry. The funding will be provided as direct grants based on the amount of renewable hydrogen produced, with a maximum support period of 10 years. Beneficiaries must adhere to EU criteria for the production of renewable fuels of non-biological origin (RFNBOs) and contribute to the generation of additional renewable electricity necessary for hydrogen production. Teresa Ribera emphasized that these schemes represent a significant advancement in renewable hydrogen development, emphasizing efficiency and cost-effectiveness. The European Hydrogen Bank's recent auction attracted 61 bids from 11 European countries, with grant requests totaling €4.8 billion, significantly exceeding the available budget of €1.2 billion from the Innovation Fund. This strong interest underscores the growing momentum and interest in renewable hydrogen projects across Europe, highlighting the region's commitment to clean energy and sustainability.