Press release, June 10, 2020 – download as PDF

H2.B board member Prof. Veronika Grimm appointed to the National Hydrogen Council

• Dr. Veronika Grimm becomes a member of the National Hydrogen Council
• Four partners in the Bavarian Hydrogen Alliance are also assigned a seat in the Hydrogen Council

H2.B board member Prof. Dr. Veronika Grimm has been appointed to the National Hydrogen Council as one of 25 members. In her function as H2.B board member, she has already done important work in the development of a position paper as a basis for the Bavarian Hydrogen Strategy. This position paper was realized together with her colleague oft he H2.B Board of Directors, Prof. Dr. Peter Wasserscheid, and the meanwhile over 70 partners in the Bavarian Hydrogen Alliance. Prof. Grimm heads the Energy Campus Nuremberg (EnCN), an association of researchers from various research institutions and disciplines in the metropolitan region of Nuremberg. Since April 2020, she is a member of the German Council of Economic Experts (“Wirtschaftsweisen”) and she has already been active for several years as advisor at state, national and EU- level.

“The national hydrogen strategy marks a turning point in German energy and climate policy and opens up extensive future opportunities for the industry in Bavaria, Germany and Europe”, says Veronika Grimm. “It is important to develop the entire value chain for the hydrogen economy, reaching from production to logistics and to applications. It is very fortunate that the national government, the German states and the EU have presented ambitious strategies almost simultaneously. A cooperative interaction of activities at German state, national and European level will be crucial. We will play our part to achieve this.”

In addition, representatives of four high-ranking partners in the Bavarian Hydrogen Alliance were appointed to the National Hydrogen Council: Linde, MAN Energy Solutions, Schaeffler and Siemens Energy. The players of the Bavarian Hydrogen Alliance and of the H2.B are represented with a total of five seats in the National Hydrogen Council, which underlines the important role of Bavarian companies and institutions regarding hydrogen within Germany and also worldwide.

The position paper of the Bavarian Hydrogen Alliance on a Bavarian hydrogen economy can be found on: www.h2.bayern/positionspapier

About the German Hydrogen Strategy and the role of the Hydrogen Council

The National Hydrogen Strategy (Nationale Wasserstoffstrategie, NWS ) adopted by the German Federal Cabinet on June 10, 2020 marks a turning point in German energy and climate policy. In a comprehensive package of measures, a coherent framework for action along the entire hydrogen value chain is to be created. The strategy also focuses on developing the international trade with green hydrogen and synthetic energy carriers based thereupon, as well as the industrial production of key components of a future hydrogen economy. The Coalition Committee’s future package of June 3, 2020 provides actually 9 billion euros for measures within the National Hydrogen Strategy (NWS). To implement and further develop the German Hydrogen Strategy, a governance structure has been set up with a State Secretary Committee and a coordinating control centre in addition to a National Hydrogen Council appointed by the Federal Government. This Council consists of 25 high-ranking experts from the fields of industry, science and civil society and is intended to advise and support the State Secretary Committee with recommendations for action regarding the implementation and further development of the National Hydrogen Strategy.

About the Hydrogen Center Bavaria (H2.B) and the Hydrogen Alliance Bavaria

The State of Bavaria has founded the Hydrogen Center Bavaria – H2.B to consolidate and expand the technological leadership of the Bavarian industry in the important future field of the hydrogen economy. With this, the State of Bavaria is pursuing the goal of bringing together central players in industry, science and politics in order to advance the topic of the “hydrogen economy” and in particular of hydrogen in mobility in Bavaria as quickly as possible and to achieve the use of hydrogen in broad practical application.

On occasion of the founding event of the H2.B, the Bavarian State Government also concluded the Bavarian Hydrogen Alliance with key players in a future hydrogen economy. The meanwhile over 70 alliance partners from industry, science, associations and municipalities declare that they will contribute to strengthening and expanding Bavaria’s technological competence in the field of innovative hydrogen technologies and support the activities of the Hydrogen Center Bavaria.

A first milestone of the Bavarian Hydrogen Alliance was the preparation of a position paper regarding the Bavarian hydrogen economy as a basis for the Bavarian Hydrogen Strategy of the State of Bavaria. This process was coordinated by the Hydrogen Center Bavaria (H2.B) and led to the publication of the position paper on May 29. Based on the position paper, the H2.B will now develop a Hydrogen Roadmap for Bavaria together with the partners in the Bavarian Hydrogen Alliance.

Photo: H2.B / Giulia Iannicelli