“We want to become number 1 in the world in hydrogen technologies”
The Federal Ministry of Economics and the Federal Ministry of Transport today selected 62 large-scale hydrogen projects that are to be state-funded as part of a joint European hydrogen project (so-called hydrogen IPCEI – Important Projects of Common European Interest). You are implementing an important measure of the National Hydrogen Strategy.
Federal Minister of Economics Altmaier: “We want to become number 1 in the world in hydrogen technologies. To do this, we are pooling our strengths in Europe and initiating massive investments in the future technology hydrogen with the first joint European hydrogen project. That secures competitiveness and jobs – in Germany as well as in Europe. We are providing over 8 billion euros in federal and state funds for the 62 German projects selected today, and with the projects we cover the entire value chain – from hydrogen generation and transport to industrial applications. We are thus taking a big step on the way to making our economy climate-neutral. A central area for this is the steel industry as well as the chemical industry,
Federal Transport Minister Scheuer: “We are making Germany a hydrogen country. In doing so, we are rethinking mobility, European and holistic – from the energy system and drive technologies to the fueling infrastructure. At present, traffic is still more than 95 percent dependent on the use of fossil fuels. We therefore urgently need mobility that relies on renewable energies. Green hydrogen and fuel cells are – across all modes of transport – a great addition to pure battery vehicles. The fact is: we must and WANT to urgently promote the switch to climate-friendly mobility. In order to cover all areas of mobility with zero-emission solutions, we need technology openness. That is why we also support fuel cell technology as well as vehicle and component manufacturers, so as not to miss the boat internationally. Today we are taking a giant step towards climate-friendly mobility. ”
More information on the 62 hydrogen projects:
The € 8 billion state funding is made up of federal and state funds. Around 4.4 billion euros come from the Federal Ministry of Economics; up to 1.4 billion euros from the Federal Ministry of Transport. The remaining funds are made available by the federal states. Investments totaling 33 billion euros are to be triggered, including over 20 billion euros from private investors. The 62 major hydrogen projects were selected from over 230 project outlines received and represent the entire value chain of the hydrogen market.
In the BMWi department, 50 project outlines were selected. These include project sketches for generation plants that together comprise more than 2 gigawatts of electrolysis capacity for the production of green hydrogen. That corresponds to 40% of the goal set in the National Hydrogen Strategy of 5 gigawatts by 2030. We are also thinking about the infrastructure from the start and want to advance hydrogen lines with a length of around 1,700 km. A particularly large number of emissions can be saved in the CO2-intensive steel industry. With ArcelorMittal, Stahl Holding Saar, Salzgitter Stahl and Thyssenkrupp Steel, all steel producers active in Germany have submitted investment projects. A number of innovative projects in the chemical industry, such as B. from BASF at the Ludwigshafen site, show through the CO2-free production of hydrogen and its further use, e.g. B. for the production of ammonia or synthetic fuels for freight or air traffic, there is enormous potential for reduction.
The Federal Ministry of Transport is funding 12 projects in the mobility sector. These concern the development and manufacture of fuel cell systems and vehicles – from cars and trucks to municipal vehicles. In addition, for example, the development of a nationwide and cross-border networked hydrogen refueling infrastructure is to be promoted. A joint Hamburg project is also addressing aviation and the maritime sector with a holistic approach: from fuel cell vehicles for port logistics or the H2 push boats in the Port of Hamburg to H2 vehicles starting for intralogistics at Airbus. With such integrated real-world laboratories, which are created on site, fuel cell technology is further advanced and put into use.
The German projects are funded as part of a European project (IPCEI Hydrogen) together with up to 22 European partner countries. The various national projects are to be networked with one another in such a way that all countries benefit from one another and a European hydrogen economy can be built up together. Federal Minister of Economics Altmaier kicked off this initiative in December 2020 during the German EU Council Presidency. The aim is for the projects to be approved by the European Commission under state aid law this year.
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