Munich — The “European Clean Hydrogen Alliance” is getting one more member with Thüga. The public utility association is thus committed to renewable hydrogen on a European level and will contribute its technical expertise, particularly in the field of distribution networks.
Around 250 companies and organizations have joined the “European Clean Hydrogen Alliance” since the EU Commission presented it in July. The common goal: to initiate as many economically viable hydrogen projects as possible so that the ramp-up can begin. In a total of six fields of activity, the alliance supports the development of a clean and globally competitive hydrogen industry in Europe.
Focus on local energy transition
As a municipal company, Thüga concentrates primarily on the local generation of hydrogen and its distribution. Michael Riechel, Chairman of the Management Board of Thüga Aktiengesellschaft, explains: “So far, only a few distribution network operators have been represented in the alliance. That is why we are pleased to contribute our technical expertise in gas infrastructure. If the decarbonization of the heating sector for households and industry is to succeed, we must we will quickly start adding hydrogen to the gas distribution network. In the medium to long term, we can achieve a quota of 100 percent “. Actively helping to shape this change is an original interest of the Thüga Group with its around 100 municipal energy suppliers.
Hydrogen in a practical test
Thüga is working on the future topic of hydrogen with specific test cases. As early as 2013, 13 companies from the Thüga Group put a demonstration system for power-to-gas into operation in Frankfurt, fed hydrogen into the distribution network and put the technology through its paces. Thüga and the partner company Stadtwerke Heide are currently participating in the WestCOAST100 project. In this first “real laboratory for the energy transition” with a focus on hydrogen, ten consortium partners are planning to set up a regional hydrogen economy on an industrial scale. Addressed to political decision-makers, 63 partner companies from the Thüga Group published the “5-point plan for renewable gases” in 2019. In it they call for the rapid market introduction of renewable gases as well as a binding,
About Thüga:
Thüga Aktiengesellschaft (Thüga), based in Munich, is an investment and specialist consulting company with local roots. Founded in 1867, it is a minority shareholder in around 100 companies in the municipal energy and water industry across Germany. The respective majority shareholders are cities and municipalities. Together with its partners, Thüga forms the largest municipal association of local and regional energy and water supply companies in Germany – the Thüga Group.
The common goal is to shape the future of municipal energy and water supply. With more than 200 employees, Thüga continues to develop and expand the group, supports municipal companies with advice and service companies, thus contributing to the competitiveness of their partners. They are responsible for active market cultivation with their local and regional brands: In total, the Thüga partners with their more than 20,000 employees supply over four million customers nationwide with electricity, two million customers with natural gas and one million customers with drinking water. In 2018, they generated sales of more than 21 billion euros.
www.thuega.de (http://www.thuega.de/)
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