Germany Aims To Be No 1 in Next Generation Hydrogen Technologies
"We want to be Number 1 in the world with Hydrogen Technologies," says the German Federal Minister of the Economy, Peter Altmaier.
Altmaier's statement accompanies 62 hydrogen-related projects that have been selected by the Federal Transportation Ministry in Berlin, Germany for over 8 billion euro in federal support, part of a collective initiative entitled Important Projects of Common European Interest. In so doing Germany is implementing an important measure in the country's long-term hydrogen strategy.
The government's support will cover the entire hydrogen value chain, from the production to the transport to its application among consumers in industry. According to Altmaier, Germany "is making a big step on the way to the climate neutrality of its economy. A central area in this is the steel industry and the chemical industry, where yearly through the use of these hydrogen projects several million tons in CO2 will be saved annually."
Altmaier's comments were echoed by those of Andreas Scheuer, Federal Minister for Transportation: "We're making Germany Hydrogen Land. To this end we're re-thinking the mobility of energy systems in Europe and beyond, of power technologies to tank infrastructure. Presently more than 95 percent of transportation is dependent on the use of fossil fuels. Therefore we urgently need mobility which focuses on renewable energy. Green hydrogen and fuel cells are -- stretching across all transportation systems -- a great complement to solely battery-powered vehicles. The fact is, we have to and must want to push the transition to a climate-friendly mobility. In order to cover all areas of mobility with zero emission solutions, we need technology openness. It is with this in mind that we are supporting fuel cell technology and automobile and spare parts manufacturers, in order not to miss the connection to the international market. Today we are taking a giant step in the direction of climate-friendly mobility."