Draft update to Germany's hydrogen strategy sees higher 2030 demand – media

A draft update of the German government’s 2020 national hydrogen strategy assumes a higher demand for the fuel than three years ago, when the country launched its first national strategy for the fuel, according to an article in the Tagesspiegel Background energy policy newsletter. Germany will need 95 to 130 terawatt hours (TWh) of hydrogen— including derivatives such as ammonia, methanol or synthetic fuels — of which 55 TWh would be made from natural gas (“grey” hydrogen) and 40-75 TWh with renewable electricity (“green” hydrogen). The initial 2020 strategy assumed a demand of 90-110 TWh. Fifty to seventy percent would be covered through imports, and the government plans to develop an import strategy this year, according to the draft. The government coalition of Social Democrats (SPD), Green Party and Free Democrats (FDP) previously agreed to double the target electrolysis capacity in 2030 to 10 gigawatts (GW), which will now be incorporated into the strategy. For the second half of this decade, the coalition aims to develop a "funding strategy for the expansion of domestic production of green hydrogen in Germany that is as unbureaucratic as possible" by the end of the legislative period, Tagesspiegel reported.

In the effort to curb global greenhouse gas emissions, hydrogen made with renewable electricity is often seen as a panacea for sectors with particularly stubborn emissions, such as heavy industry or aviation. The question of how much hydrogen is available, and at what time, will ultimately determine where it can be used. The government’s draft strategy makes clear that until 2030, industrial sectors will be prioritised for use of hydrogen, Tagesspiegel Background said.