Industry representatives deem hydrogen scale-up most important energy policy task

Corporate decision makers in Germany have voted hydrogen technologies as the most important field of action for energy policy. In an online survey conducted by Civey Institute for the regional industry association Metropole Ruhr, almost 60 percent of 2,500 respondents agreed with the statement that the future German government should push ahead with the expansion of hydrogen technologies. Following priorities should be securing the energy supply (47.8 %), expanding power grids (41.4 %), solar capacity (37.3 %), wind capacity (27.2 %) and energy efficiency (26.8 %), the survey showed. The survey, which was initiated by energy company RWE and steel producer thyssenkrupp, also found that in the opinion of corporate decision makers, politicians should focus on hydrogen production from renewable energies; purchase incentives for hydrogen vehicles and the expansion of the transport infrastructure. The respondents hope that stronger political support for hydrogen technologies will lead to greater energy independence (52.3%), strengthen Germany as a business location (49.0%) and make the energy transition a success (46.8%).

Hydrogen produced with renewable electricity is seen as increasingly vital in the fight against climate change, particularly for high CO2-emission sectors like heavy industry and aviation. It could also be used for seasonal storage, meaning storing the summer's high renewables energy output for the winter. Germany has set out to become a global leader in hydrogen technologies and the government has penned a National Hydrogen Strategy to fulfil these ambitions.