Hydrogen plays a key role in the energy transition as an energy source, as a storage medium and as a replacement for fossil fuels, which is why Robert Habeck, the Federal Minister for Economic Affairs, and several state ministers for economic affairs issued grants for 23 extraordinary, forward-looking hydrogen projects in Germany in July. Twelve of those are based in Lower Saxony and Bremen.
These infrastructure projects are so-called Important Projects of Common European Interest (IPCEI), which the German government and states support with approximately 4.6 billion euros. As around half of these 23 projects are based in Lower Saxony (ten) and Bremen (two), the two German states will receive 1.28 billion euros and 65 million euros respectively. “With this major investment in climate action, we’re taking an important step in accelerating development of a sustainable hydrogen economy and therefore securing the future of green hydrogen in Lower Saxony,” says Christian Meyer, Lower Saxony’s Minister for the Environment and Energy. And Kristina Vogt, Bremen Senator for Economic Affairs, Ports and Transformation, adds: “This investment will boost Bremen’s role as an industrial hub. Climate-friendly energy infrastructures are under construction and will be accessible to other industries in the state of Bremen.
The activities of both states described here are embedded in northern Germany’s hydrogen strategy. Besides the generation of green hydrogen on an industrial scale, the development of a sufficient number of “hydrogen motorways” for transporting the fuel, and the establishment of the corresponding storage capacities, there are other projects that focus on the use of green hydrogen as well as technical development projects for innovations like green flying.
Becoming “the no. 1 green hydrogen state”
The ten infrastructure projects in Lower Saxony can be broken down into three large-scale electrolysis projects, six hydrogen pipeline projects and a project for renovating a storage cavern for hydrogen. “We’re well on our way to becoming an important hydrogen generation and storage centre as well as a hub for the import and distribution of green hydrogen in Germany,” says Christian Meyer. “Lower Saxony will be the no. 1 green hydrogen state.”
Of the three aforementioned large-scale electrolysers for use in the production of hydrogen, two are being built in Lingen and one in Emden. “Emden is already a hotspot for renewable energies in Lower Saxony,” says Meyer. “That reputation will be further reinforced by the IPCEI project ‘Clean Hydrogen Coastline’ with the 320-megawatt electrolyser.” Through the two electrolyser projects in Lingen – “LGH2 Lingen Green Hydrogen” and “GET H2 Nukleus” – four production units will be built for green hydrogen, with a combined total of around 400 megawatts.
Lower Saxony’s second pillar is the six pipeline projects – “Clean Hydrogen Coastline”, “Hy Per Link Niedersachsen”, “Green Octopus Mitteldeutschland”, “GET H2 OGE NI”, “GET H2 Nowega NI” and “GET H2 Thyssengas NI” – with many kilometres of hydrogen pipelines planned across Germany. The projects for promoting the use of green hydrogen will be rounded off with a large-scale development of storage options, which is why the storage salt cavern in Huntorf (Elsfleth) is being converted. The “H2S Huntorf” storage facility there should offer space for up to 70 gigawatt hours of hydrogen from 2027.
“Half of the electrolysis capacity now funded throughout Germany – 720 megawatts – and 40 per cent of the hydrogen pipeline length – around 800 kilometres – will be based in Lower Saxony,” says Meyer. “Sufficient availability and the use of green hydrogen are absolutely essential for achieving climate targets and transforming the energy supply and industry.” And that makes it even more fitting that “Aqua Ductus”, another IPCEI pipeline project implemented in collaboration with Lower Saxony, is in the planning stage. This project, too, is likely to receive funding from the German government and the state. The plan is to build a hydrogen pipeline some 300 kilo-metres in length in the North Sea, with a landing in Lower Saxony and a connection to the future hydrogen core network. That would also enable integration of hydrogen generated at sea in the future as well as potential hydrogen imports from neighbouring countries in the North Sea.
Versatility beyond IPCEI
Also in July, Habeck and Maike Frese, Bremen’s State Councillor for Economic Affairs, issued grants to participating companies EWE and Gasunie for the Bremen projects “Clean Hydrogen Coastline” and “Hy Per Link”. The two projects call for the development of a sustainable hydrogen infrastructure in Bremen – much like the corresponding subprojects in Lower Saxony. In the Bremen stretch of “Clean Hydrogen Coastline”, the idea is to establish hydrogen electrolysis at a scale of 50 megawatts at the Mittelsbüren location, close to the steelworks there. And through the “Hy Per Link” project, a pipeline infrastructure will be built in Bremen to connect the city to the national hydrogen network currently under development.
“Even beyond the IPCEI projects approved in July, we have lots of other hydrogen activities going on in the state of Bremen,” adds Vogt, referring to two other IPCEI projects, among other things. Approved at the end of May, “DRIBE 2” will receive hundreds of millions of euros in funding and aims to make the switch to hydrogen in operations at the ArcelorMittal steelworks in Bremen. This measure should reduce all the CO2 emissions in Bremen by around 50 per cent. “WOPLIN” is a joint project of the Airbus locations in Bremen, Hamburg and Stade dedicated to establishing a foundation for the use of hydrogen and fuel cell technologies to produce a climate-friendly aircraft. The project has already received state aid approval from the European Commission but is still waiting for the grant.
Other large-scale projects in Bremen include the planned “Energy Port” in Bremerhaven, which can contribute to the national supply of green energy sources once financing has been secured and legal feasibility confirmed. The plan is to connect Bremerhaven to the hydrogen core network. “Hydrogen Lab Bremerhaven” and the “Ecomat Hydrogen Campus” in Bremen are two additional keywords that represent research, development, services and products sourced from the state of Bremen. (bre)
