For a greener mobility sector: With this aim, the district of Lippe, together with the district of Minden-Lübbecke and the city of Bielefeld, applied to the national competition “HyLand – hydrogen regions in Germany”.
The project application was successful. Last year, the Federal Ministry of Transport awarded the Lippe district 300,000 euros in funding and now the “HyDrive OWL” project started on June 1st as scheduled.
“With the project, we can show that the switch to post-fossil mobility can and must be promoted regionally. With the results of the project, we can not only make our region sustainable but also be a role model for other cities and districts. Hydrogen will be an important source of energy for the mobility of the future, ”explains district administrator Dr. Axel Lehmann.
“HyDrive OWL” will strategically look at how hydrogen can be generated and used sustainably. The assessments of technical and economic feasibility form an important building block in the strategy, with the focus on regional value chains. Therefore, as a starting point for the study, a survey is now being carried out among companies and institutions. The results should show where the competencies and needs lie in the generation, distribution, and use of hydrogen.
“We want to develop an overall concept that is close to the actual local conditions. The widespread introduction of green hydrogen can only work if the actors from the region are taken along and take part in the implementation, ”says Olrik Meyer, head of the Energy and Climate Protection Department at the Lippe district.
To the project sketch
For the production of green hydrogen from electrolysis, wind energy, and waste-based energy generation plants are to serve as energy suppliers. The focus here is on the production costs of hydrogen and the consideration of different operator and business models for production.
In the area of hydrogen storage and distribution, a technology-open model is developed, which calculates costs depending on the distance, quantity and storage technology.
For the petrol station infrastructure, nodes are to be defined that guarantee an optimal supply density. In addition, project-related refueling solutions are examined.
The customer side is also an important component of the project. In this area, in particular, the actors should be able to get involved. “Companies or institutions that are interested in the use of hydrogen can participate in the consideration at any time. The use of fuel cell vehicles in all vehicle classes is important to us, ”emphasizes Meyer. The operation of various vehicles is to be assessed using application examples.
“HyDrive OWL” is fully funded by the federal government. The project period ends on June 30, 2021. Further information on the project is available from Dennis Hetmann at [email protected] or 05231 62 6401.
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