Düsseldorf - The “DüsselRheinWupper” region around Duisburg, Düsseldorf, the Rhine district of Neuss and Wuppertal is the first “model region for hydrogen mobility in NRW”. The title “is associated with close and qualified support of the region in the implementation of its hydrogen plans” by the Ministry of Economic Affairs.
The aim is to produce hydrogen there, initially using the biogenic portion of waste-to-energy plants, and later also using renewable energy on site. This green hydrogen will then be used primarily by commercial vehicles as well as municipal vehicles and company fleets. Within ten years, 140 fuel cell buses and 200 fuel cell trucks as well as several hydrogen-powered special vehicles are expected to be on the road. In addition, the region wants to use hydrogen as a storage facility for renewable electricity when local electricity demand is low.
This was preceded by a multi-stage competition by the state government “Model municipality/region for hydrogen mobility NRW” with the aim of promoting expansion in the area of mobility. In the first phase, a jury selected the best three from ten rough concepts: the Steinfurt district, H2Rheinland (Cologne with Brühl, Hürth and Wesseling, the Rheinisch-Bergischen district and the Rhein-Sieg district) and the DüsselRheinWupper region. The candidates then created detailed concepts with financial support, which were submitted to the sponsor around six weeks ago.
The state government will also “intensively support the concepts of the Steinfurt district and H2Rheinland in implementing their innovative investment ideas by obtaining federal funds,” emphasized Economics and Energy Minister Andreas Pinkwart. There is state funding of 350.000 euros for each. Because hydrogen is “essential for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and for the success of the energy transition”. Through consistent use in the transport sector and in industry, a quarter of today's emissions could be avoided. DüsselRheinWupper will show “how hydrogen can not only be used regionally, but also produced and distributed,” said the jury.
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Economics Minister Pinkwart and the model region jury © Photo: MWIDE NRW / M. Raschke
