By Andreas Kissler
BERLIN (Dow Jones) – The Federal Ministry of Economics wants to finalize an ordinance this autumn to promote hydrogen production at sea.
“We have passed a regulation to the hearing of the federal states and associations, according to which areas in the North Sea and Baltic Sea (so-called exclusive economic zone) are designated in order to advance research projects for offshore hydrogen,” said the ministry. According to the information, the regulation is to come into force in September, and a first round of tenders will take place in 2022.
The Ministry of Economics Minister Peter Altmaier (CDU) called the initiative “worldwide unique”. Electrolysis systems at sea are still at an early stage. Here one wants to “secure the technological leadership in Germany”. The ministry is therefore adapting the regulation and allocating areas for these research projects in the North and Baltic Seas, and an additional 50 million euros would be made available for these research projects. “Funding can then begin at the beginning of 2022,” it said.
In practice, it could look like wind turbines are installed at sea and then there is a platform on which an electrolyser is installed that converts the electricity into hydrogen by means of electrolysis. Specifically, according to its own information, the ministry intends to use the ordinance to create the option of allocating land in the exclusive economic zone by the Federal Maritime and Hydrographic Agency. Successful bidders should initially receive the right to use the space for energy generation.
In a further step, you could apply for a corresponding funding for offshore hydrogen projects. Funding of over 50 million euros will be made available for this from 2022. The award should be open to technology, floating solar systems or tidal power plants could also be installed that generate electricity and, in the next step, hydrogen. Probably the most important form at the moment is the generation of hydrogen by offshore wind energy with offshore electrolysis.
Source: Dow Jones Newswires
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