Hydrogen is considered a great hope for a climate-friendly energy supply. In Germany, the legal requirements have now been created to build a core network.
The path is clear for the development of a hydrogen core network in Germany. To this end, the Federal Council has approved an amendment to the Energy Industry Act.
The state chamber decided not to call the mediation committee. The hydrogen core network is to be financed privately – with state security. It is intended to include the most important lines of the hydrogen transport and import infrastructure. A total of 9,700 kilometers of lines are planned. This is largely a repurposing of the current gas network.
Hydrogen as the key to climate-friendly economic restructuring
Hydrogen should play a key role in the climate-friendly restructuring of the economy. Hydrogen may not be a panacea, and “green” hydrogen is still in short supply, said North Rhine-Westphalia’s Energy Minister Mona Neubaur (Greens) in the Federal Council. “But hydrogen has the potential to become the central building block of the energy industry with massively reduced greenhouse gases.” It is an essential building block for the transformation process of the economy.
Warning of errors such as photovoltaics and wind energy
Hamburg’s Environment and Energy Senator Jens Kerstan (Greens) warned against making the same mistakes with the hydrogen economy as with the development of photovoltaics and wind energy. There, Germany developed a technology that made it world market leader. “And the moment we could make money with it and create jobs, Germany lost its courage, and our pioneering achievements were not reflected in jobs or in locational strength or the security of the industry.”
The hydrogen core network is intended to connect large hydrogen consumption and production regions, for example where there are large industrial centers, storage facilities and power plants. According to the Ministry of Economic Affairs, the core network lines are to be put into operation gradually from 2025 to 2032. Commissioning of individual projects should be possible by 2037, provided this is determined accordingly by the Federal Network Agency. Investments of around 20 billion euros are expected.
Source: Stern
