The World Hydrogen Summit & Exhibition 2026 has concluded with resounding success in Rotterdam, cementing its position as the world’s foremost platform for advancing hydrogen deployment at scale.  

Held from 19 - 21 May, the seventh edition of the Summit brought together 10,000 attendees from 120 countries at a pivotal moment for the global hydrogen industry. 

Under the theme ‘Climate, Energy and National Security: Unlocking Hydrogen Demand to Meet Global Priorities,’ the Summit addressed one of the defining challenges facing the hydrogen sector: how to create demand at scale. As the industry moves from ambition to implementation, governments and businesses are increasingly framing hydrogen not only as a climate solution, but as a question of energy security, industrial competitiveness and resilience.  

Across hard-to-abate sectors including steel, shipping, refining, fertilisers, aviation, power generation and heavy-duty mobility, mandates, offtake incentives and targeted industrial policy are emerging as critical levers to unlock investment, accelerate deployment and build bankable markets. 

Organised by the Sustainable Energy Council (SEC) and RX Global, in collaboration with the Dutch Government, the Province of Zuid-Holland, the City of Rotterdam and the Port of Rotterdam, this year’s event was the largest to date, reflecting the growing urgency and momentum behind hydrogen as a cornerstone of global energy and industrial strategy. 

Underlining the significance of the occasion, His Majesty King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands visited the Summit on its opening day, before attending the ceremonial handover of the first section of the Gasunie hydrogen pipeline network. 

The event also featured dedicated Carbon Capture, Utilisation and Storage (CCUS) and Energy Storage zones for the first time, a clear signal of the growing need for integrated solutions to deliver secure energy supplies, meet climate targets and strengthen industrial competitiveness. 

The Summit reaffirmed its status as the global platform for deal-making, project launches and international partnership announcements, with several major announcements made across the three days. 

Ivo Bols, President, Europe and Africa, Air Products, and a speaker at the three-day event, shared: “The World Hydrogen Summit represents a unique opportunity to network, connect and compare with others. As I said at the conference, we are not alone in the sector and it is important that companies understand and utilise that. Collectively, we now need to build on the positivity and deliver on the resilience, reliability of supply and competitiveness that drives us.” 

Chris Hugall, World Hydrogen Summit Event Director, said: “The World Hydrogen Summit has long been the place where the industry does business, where supply chain partnerships are formed, offtake agreements are progressed and investment commitments are made public. This year was no different. The announcements and partnerships confirmed in Rotterdam demonstrate that, even as the industry works through the challenge of demand creation, the momentum for doing deals here is stronger than ever. 

“This year’s Summit put the most critical question facing the hydrogen sector front and centre: how do we create demand at scale? The conversations in Rotterdam were candid, data-driven and focused on what governments and companies are doing right now to unlock deployment across steel, shipping, aviation and beyond. 

“Hydrogen is increasingly understood as a matter of national security as much as climate policy, and that shift in narrative is driving real momentum. We are proud to partner with our Dutch hosts and global stakeholders to keep this conversation moving forward.” 

Port of Rotterdam CEO, Boudewijn Siemons, said: “The transition to a carbon-neutral energy system is not a choice between climate and prosperity — it is the path towards a thriving, secure and sustainable future. By placing hydrogen at the heart of this global conversation, the Summit inspires, showcases real progress and encourages collaboration, helping to accelerate the development of a resilient, competitive and secure hydrogen economy.” 

Building on this year’s success, the organisers have confirmed the World Hydrogen Summit & Exhibition will return to Rotterdam in May 2027 to continue driving momentum and international collaboration. Details of the next edition and programme will be announced soon. 

For more information, visit: www.world-hydrogen-summit.com 

ENDS 

Notes to Editors 

Issued on behalf of the World Hydrogen Summit by BIG Partnership. If you have any questions or require further information, please contact worldhydrogensummitpress@bigpartnership.co.uk 

About the World Hydrogen Summit 

The World Hydrogen 2026 Summit & Exhibition is the landmark global gathering for hydrogen stakeholders, and has returned to Europe’s hydrogen capital, Rotterdam, for its seventh year from 19–21 May 2026. 

The event is organised by RX Global in partnership with the Dutch Government, the Province of Zuid-Holland, the City of Rotterdam and the Port of Rotterdam. 

To learn more and register your interest for the World Hydrogen Summit & Exhibition 2027, please visit: world-hydrogen-summit.com