(Berlin) - The National Hydrogen Strategy (NWS) issued by the federal government in June was approved in principle by experts. However, a number of clarifications and additions as well as urgency were called for, according to a parliamentary statement after a hearing of the Committee on Economic Affairs and Energy at the end of October.
Jörg Bergmann (Open Grid Europe) underlined the importance of hydrogen for the energy transition. Hydrogen will develop into a key global technology that will have a significant impact on Germany's competitiveness. Transporting larger quantities via cables is the most economical option, at least within Europe. He proposed building a pipeline infrastructure based on existing gas networks with a total length of 1.200 kilometers by 2030.
Also Daniel Teichmann (Hydrogenious LOHC Technologies) sees hydrogen as “an elementary building block for the decarbonization of the energy system.” He explained the LOHC (Liquid Organic Hydrogen Carrier) technology, in which hydrogen is “docked” to a liquid carrier material and transported within the existing infrastructure. Transport takes place via ocean and inland waterway vessels, rail and road. LOHC enables the safe and cost-efficient transport and import of inexpensive, green hydrogen.
Armin Schnettler (Siemens Energy) urged to speed up. German companies are still technology leaders in the hydrogen sector. This advantage must be maintained and expanded. One of the biggest priorities is the exemption for electrolysis from the EEG levy.
Kerstin Andreae (Federal Association of the Energy and Water Industry) calls for the gas supply to be completely converted to climate-neutral and, as far as possible, renewable gases by 2050. In the area of heat, she suggested adding hydrogen to gas networks.
Daniela Jansen (IG Metall) sees hydrogen technology playing a key role in the global race for resource-saving and climate-neutral production. One focus is on the steel industry. However, the NWS focuses primarily on research and development, but has so far neglected training and further education. The use of hydrogen would open up new fields of application in many industries, for which employees often do not yet have the necessary qualifications.
Lars Baumgurtel (Voigt and Schweitzer) welcomed the NWS, but identified a need for clarification and gaps in content from the perspective of energy-intensive medium-sized businesses for the upcoming market ramp-up. Small and medium-sized businesses should be increasingly involved in the further development of the hydrogen strategy. In the area of process heat, there is great potential to switch from natural gas to hydrogen.
Felix Matthes (Eco-Institute) pushed for a faster concretization of the NWS. So far, most of the proposed measures have been at a relatively high level of abstraction. One of the particularly urgent measures he included was the establishment of a robust certification system for climate-neutral hydrogen within the European Union and beyond.
Mario Ragwitz (Fraunhofer Institute for Energy Infrastructures and Geothermal Energy) sees water electrolysis as a crucial component of industrial policy; not only for producing the hydrogen required in this country, but also as a flexibility option in the power grid and as a technology for the international export market. It is of central importance to adapt the regulatory framework for taxes, levies and levies on electricity, to promote demonstration objects and to build the necessary infrastructure. Regulatory barriers to fuel cell vehicles and hydrogen filling stations must be reduced.
deep link
https://www.bundestag.de/hib#url=L3ByZXNzZS9oaWIvODAxMTY2LTgwMTE2Ng==&mod=mod454590
Detailed statements from the experts and video recording (duration 01:50)
https://www.bundestag.de/dokumente/textarchiv/2020/kw44-pa-wirtschaft-793208
Photos
Paul Löbe House / © German Bundestag, Simone M. Neumann
