Belgium and Vietnam have signed agreements to collaborate on green hydrogen production during King Philippe’s historic visit to Hanoi.

Belgium’s King Philippe met with Vietnamese leaders on Tuesday as the two nations formalized cooperation agreements, including a focus on green hydrogen. This marks the first visit by a Belgian monarch to Vietnam, accompanied by a delegation of business, academic, and political representatives.

Vietnamese President Luong Cuong described the visit as a milestone in bilateral relations, urging Belgium to ratify the Vietnam-EU investment protection agreement, which remains pending approval by a third of the EU’s 27 member states.

As Brussels seeks closer ties with Hanoi amid global trade tensions, high-level EU officials, including Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez and EU Trade Commissioner Maros Sefcovic, are scheduled to visit Vietnam in the coming weeks.

During the visit, Belgian engineering firm John Cockerill signed provisional agreements with Vietnamese partners to explore green hydrogen production. A company spokesperson stated that these agreements could lead to the establishment of a factory in Vietnam to manufacture alkaline water electrolyzers, key components in hydrogen production. If realized, the facility would serve the broader Southeast Asian market.

Vietnam aims to generate around 15 gigawatts of hydrogen-based electricity by 2050, according to a February 2025 draft of its revised long-term power plan. This figure is slightly lower than the previous target of 16.4 GW, representing about 2% of the country's projected installed capacity by mid-century.

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