Germany Fails to Advance Hydrogen Strategy: Press

German politicians failed May 29 to agree on a way forward for a national hydrogen strategy, according to media reports, with rifts opening over proposed capacity and implementation times for the strategy, which would help decarbonise the German economy and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Germany wants to pursue a “green” hydrogen strategy, using renewable energy like solar or wind to produce hydrogen through the electrolysis of water. The “green” hydrogen would then replace oil and gas in the heating and transportation sectors, and would eventually replace so-called “grey hydrogen” – produced by reforming natural gas – in the steel, cement and chemical manufacturing industries.

But potential investors are frustrated by the inability of politicians to agree on how much hydrogen capacity the country should develop. Economy minister Peter Altmaier of Chancellor Angela Merkel’s Conservative party wants between 3,000 MW and 5,000 MW built by 2030, but Social Democrats, junior partners in Germany’s coalition government, want 10,000 MW built.

Altmaier has said it would not be possible for Germany to build enough domestic green hydrogen capacity and it would need to import green hydrogen from renewables-intensive countries to meet its CO₂ reduction targets.