The FDP parliamentary group in the Bundestag submitted two motions regarding hydrogen this week. On the one hand, she calls for a “European Hydrogen Union”. The federal government must advance the issue during the EU Council Presidency in the second half of 2020 (Bundestag printed matter 19/20020). There would be an opportunity “to think European from the start when it comes to hydrogen, instead of going it alone on a national scale like with the coal phase-out and CO2 pricing,” said the MPs. A European Hydrogen Union could “reinvigorate European cooperation in the 2020s” as a “future vision.” It combines climate protection with a sustainable industrial strategy and a secure energy supply. At the same time, hydrogen projects, for example from solar energy, at favorable production locations in southern Europe could help reduce economic imbalances within the EU. Hydrogen also offers growth potential for the North and Baltic Sea regions, the Middle East, Africa and Russia and could therefore “be a component of European neighborhood policy”.
Germany as a hub for the hydrogen economy
“Germany could particularly benefit from such a project,” the application states. On the one hand, a complete supply from renewable energies will not be possible in Germany. It is important to “create climate-neutral alternatives to natural gas and oil at an early stage”. On the other hand, hydrogen technologies for production, conversion, transport and use offer “significant market opportunities for German companies”. Last but not least, due to its central geographical location in Europe, Germany could “become a kind of hub for a future hydrogen economy if we create the appropriate infrastructure.”
“Colorful” hydrogen strategy
In another proposal, the FDP parliamentary group calls for “blue” and “turquoise” hydrogen to be classified as CO2-neutral in the national hydrogen strategy in addition to “green” hydrogen. The MPs write that these do not compete with each other due to the quantity required and the different times in which they can be implemented (BtDs19/20021). “Blue” hydrogen in particular must be the “pioneer for the future production and use of green hydrogen on a large scale”.
The federal government should also promote further international partnerships for the import of CO2-neutral hydrogen bilaterally and at the European level and ensure technological openness. The MPs propose using previously unused funds from the energy and climate fund to finance the rapid expansion of the infrastructure.
Since the geographical and climatic conditions in Germany only allow a limited production of “green” hydrogen produced from water and renewable electricity using electrolysis, a large part of the demand would be covered by imports. “There are optimal conditions for hydrogen production, particularly in windy and sunny regions in Africa,” the application states. By establishing hydrogen partnerships with other countries and the necessary infrastructure, the conditions must be created to import large quantities. “In this way, countries that have so far lived primarily from oil production can build up an economic foothold for the time when fossil fuels gradually lose importance.” German companies, on the other hand, are the world leaders in production of electrolyzers, this would provide the opportunity to export the most modern climate protection technology “Made in Germany”.
Deep link:
https://dip21.bundestag.de/dip21/btd/19/200/1920020.pdf
https://dip21.bundestag.de/dip21/btd/19/200/1920021.pdf
Photos:
© German Bundestag
