Stegra and Sunfire propose revising the Industrial Accelerator Act

Swedish green steel startup Stegra and electrolyzer producer Sunfire believe that the European Industrial Accelerator Act (IAA) needs to be revised, returning to the initial stage, in order to accelerate the decarbonization of the industry, according to Kallanish.

This was discussed during a webinar organized by Hydrogen Europe.

Stegra’s Director of Public Relations, Ola Hansen, believes that the definition of “low-carbon” needs to be revised, as it currently does not align with the document’s stated goals. In his view, with the proposed thresholds, all current European flat steel production would be classified as such, just like production in China and the U.S. This would not contribute to the energy transition and, moreover, would render the 25% quota for green steel in public procurement meaningless.

At the same time, Stegra views the proposed quotas for low-carbon steel as the most promising leading market.

Christopher Frey, Head of Regulatory Affairs at Sunfire, added that the industry needs a transparent and meaningful labeling scheme for zero-emission steel to create demand for green hydrogen and electrolysers, as proposed under the lead market concept.

Overall, as noted by Hydrogen Europe, the webinar speakers agreed that the IAA is an important first step in the right direction for industrial policy in Europe, but the pace of implementation needs to be accelerated and the scale of ambition increased.

During the event, it was noted that creating demand is crucial; otherwise, investment will stall. The definition of “low-carbon” must be robust, as weak standards will undermine trust and genuine decarbonization. Furthermore, simplicity and speed must be prioritized so that legal hurdles do not slow down the process.

As a reminder, on March 4, the European Commission presented a legislative proposal—the Industrial Accelerator Act (IAA).

It introduces targeted and proportionate requirements for the “Made in the EU” program and low-carbon requirements for public procurement and state aid schemes. These will apply to specific strategic sectors, including steel, cement, aluminum production, the automotive industry, and zero-emission technologies. Regarding steel, the EC proposes specific preferences to stimulate market demand.