CBAM ComplianceBlog › CBAM Hydrogen
CBAM Hydrogen: embedded emissions, default values & how to cut your bill (2026)
Hydrogen's CBAM footprint is defined entirely by how it is made. Steam reforming and gasification of fossil feedstock are high; electrolysis is only as clean as the electricity behind it.
Grey, and everything in between
Steam-reformed (grey) hydrogen is around 10 tCO₂e per tonne. Partial oxidation / gasification is higher. Electrolytic hydrogen has almost no direct emissions but inherits the full carbon intensity of its electricity — so on a fossil grid it can be as high as reforming, and on clean power it is very low.
Electricity is the variable
For electrolytic hydrogen, the declared CBAM figure is essentially a function of the power source. Verified renewable electricity is the difference between a high and a low number. The tour contrasts the routes side by side.
Default values for hydrogen
Where verified data isn't provided, the EU default value applies. Because the spread between routes is so large, verified production and power data is especially valuable for hydrogen.
Free cost check using the official EU default values — your number in two minutes.
Run the free estimateHydrogen CBAM — frequently asked
What are the CBAM embedded emissions of hydrogen?
Steam-reformed (grey) hydrogen is around 10 tCO₂e/t; electrolytic hydrogen depends entirely on the electricity used. The hydrogen tour computes each route live.
Is electrolytic hydrogen always lower-carbon for CBAM?
Only if the electricity is low-carbon. On a fossil grid, electrolysis can be as high as reforming.
Which goods are covered under CBAM hydrogen?
Hydrogen under heading 2804 of Annex I to Regulation (EU) 2023/956.