In the context of the market ramp-up for hydrogen and the increasing technical maturity at the value creation stages of hydrogen supply in Switzerland, the question of the conditions under which business models in the hydrogen sector are promising is becoming increasingly important. The aim of the study is to examine the current regulatory conditions for business models in the hydrogen sector in Switzerland and to identify sensible further developments of instruments for a regulatory and funding frame. The impact of the instruments is to be directly assessed on the basis of concrete projects or project plans. In addition to FOGA, project partners and co-financiers are therefore actors who are already planning or implementing concrete projects in the field of hydrogen along the entire value chain, especially utility companies.

In order to answer their questions, both the industry and the hydrogen pioneers are dependent on a general assessment of possible measures, but also on the assessment of consequences and requirements for existing or planned projects. We would like to do both in the context of this study. The core of the project is therefore the assessment of possible instruments of a regulatory and funding frame for hydrogen, taking into account concrete projects and project plans. The basis is an inventory of the regulations and subsidies in the electricity and gas sector (including hydrogen) in Switzerland and Europe that are relevant for the hydrogen ramp-up, as well as an assessment of scenarios for the development of supply and demand. The assessment is carried out in two steps. In a first step, we classify possible regulatory and promotion instruments economically on the basis of a criteria grid. In a second step, we combine individual instruments into variants of an instrument mix and assess these in a practice-oriented manner on the basis of projects and project plans.

For hydrogen pioneers in Switzerland and the gas industry as a whole, a systematic examination of the design of the regulatory and support framework for hydrogen enables them to identify the levers that are relevant to them. This enables more reliable planning and opens up the opportunity to counteract developments that hinder a market take-off of hydrogen. Hydrogen offers the gas industry the possibility of long-term use of its assets and know-how. Therefore, the future shape of the hydrogen economy is of elementary interest for the industry.