Press release, December 5, 2022

Impulse paper for the revision of the National Hydrogen Strategy: Hydrogen Center Bavaria (H2.B) publishes catalog of measures

NUREMBERG – The revision of the National Hydrogen Strategy (NHS) is absolutely necessary in view of the current tense energy policy situation and partly fundamentally changed framework conditions. The Hydrogen Center Bavaria (H2.B) advocates a stronger consideration of Bavarian positions in the update of the NHS and, based on a multi-stage consultation process with 35 stakeholders from the Hydrogen Alliance Bavaria, developed an impulse paper comprising thirteen fundamental measures that are essential for a successful implementation of the energy transition with the help of hydrogen technologies.

Hydrogen can make a significant contribution to securing the ramp-up of renewable energy generation and use. However, to leverage this potential and achieve the climate targets of all sectors, the appropriate framework conditions must be created immediately. The need for a broader and at the same time more sustainable range of energy sources to supply German industrial and private consumers must also be reflected in the efforts and activities in the field of hydrogen production and supply.

“We call for swift, pragmatic and largely technology-open action and expect the revised hydrogen strategy to support the ramp-up on both the supply and demand side,” said Stefan Dürr, Head of Technology and Innovation, H2.B. “The NHS must provide strong incentives for domestic production, import and transport of renewable energy and platform chemicals, as well as for the use of hydrogen in Germany. The principle of action must be the ability to use demonstrably emission-reducing technologies without discrimination and the provision of a widespread hydrogen supply already before 2030. Many Bavarian players already have the knowledge and technologies to bring hydrogen to a wide variety of applications and thus contribute to achieving Germany’s and Bavaria’s climate targets. The impulse paper aims to identify the necessary steps to leverage this potential.”

Dr. Fabian Pfaffenberger, Managing Director of H2.B: “The economic and energy policy framework has changed fundamentally since the publication of the National Hydrogen Strategy in June 2020. This also affects the role of hydrogen and hydrogen derivatives – the rapid ramp-up of the hydrogen economy has once again gained in importance. This also makes a revision of the NHS urgently necessary. We have bundled central Bavarian demands in our impulse paper.”

Bavarian Minister of Economic Affairs, Regional Development and Energy and Deputy Bavarian Prime Minister Hubert Aiwanger has welcomed the impulse paper of the Hydrogen Center Bavaria (H2.B) with demands for the continuation of the National Hydrogen Strategy. Aiwanger: “With the H2.B we have created an actor in the Free State that knows how to collect the positions of the Bavarian economy and pass them on to the federal government in a bundled form. This gives Bavarian demands more weight and pays off in the current revision of the National Hydrogen Strategy.” The Minister of State had founded the H2.B and Hydrogen Alliance three years ago, initiated the Bavarian Hydrogen Strategy 2020 and also successfully campaigned for the German Hydrogen Technology and Innovation Centre in Pfeffenhausen (Lower Bavaria).

Brief summary of required actions:

• Accelerated development of an efficient German hydrogen network by using existing infrastructure and interlocked network planning. Creation of a consistent, uniform and transparent regulatory framework and a departure from planned unbundling regulations.
• Enabling efficient decentralized hydrogen production also in southern Germany through technology openness (in addition to electrolysis, also hydrogen from biomass and residual materials) and avoidance of location disadvantages due to stricter regulations than at EU level.
• Support technology exports and energy imports by maintaining technology openness with respect to all forms of hydrogen and all derived energy carriers, as well as non-discriminatory access to funding based on appropriate evaluation criteria such as emissions savings and carbon footprint.
• Activation and strengthening of the domestic market for hydrogen technologies through short-term benefits for buyers, public procurement, accelerated and simplified approval procedures, and training of specialists for companies and public authorities.

About the Hydrogen Center Bavaria (H2.B)

To consolidate and expand the strong position of Bavarian industry and science in the important future field of hydrogen, the Free State of Bavaria founded the Hydrogen Center Bavaria (H2.B) in Nuremberg in September 2019. With this, Bavaria is pursuing the goal of bringing hydrogen stakeholders together to strengthen the hydrogen economy and achieve the use of hydrogen in broad practical applications. In doing so, H2.B acts at the interface between business, science, politics and the public in a national and international context.

In 2020, H2.B and its partners in the Hydrogen Alliance Bavaria developed a position paper on the Bavarian hydrogen economy as a first step towards the Bavarian Hydrogen Strategy, which was published in May 2020. The Hydrogen Roadmap Bavaria, presented in April 2022, depicts a current as well as future picture of Bavaria as a business and science location regarding hydrogen. Furthermore, an estimation of possible hydrogen consumption in Bavaria is made and, derived from this, important milestones for the rollout of hydrogen technologies will be outlined.

About the Hydrogen Alliance Bavaria

The Hydrogen Alliance Bavaria is a networking, knowledge and interest platform of hydrogen actors from industry, science and politics with a headquarters in Bavaria. The Alliance serves as a focal point for hydrogen stakeholders and contributes to strengthening the Bavarian hydrogen economy and research landscape. The Alliance is coordinated by the Hydrogen Center Bavaria (H2.B) and has grown tremendously since its inception in 2019. In total, more than 300 companies, research institutions and organizations have already joined, making it the largest state hydrogen stakeholder network in Germany.