German government puts focus on green hydrogen for energy transition – media

Renewable energy-based hydrogen and other green gases increasingly shift into the German government's focus as "an alternative to electricity" and an important building block to solving future energy transition challenges, writes business daily Handelsblatt. According to a paper from the economy ministry (BMWi), seen by Handelsblatt, “gaseous energy sources are an integral and long-term component of the energy transition” and renewable power-based synthetic gases such as hydrogen will “continuously substitute natural gas, especially after 2030”. The document takes stock of a dialogue process the ministry organised with stakeholders from the energy and industry sectors.

Using renewable electricity to produce hydrogen, CO₂-neutral methane or other fossil fuel substitutes could solve some of the Energiewende’s toughest challenges. While the direct use of renewable electricity is generally preferred because a lot of energy is lost when converting it to make synthetic hydrogen or methane, power-to-x fuels will likely be needed for specific applications, such as heavy-duty truck transport or as energy storage. The federal government plans to decide on a “hydrogen strategy“ by the end of the year.