German govt supports green hydrogen projects abroad with 350 mln euros by 2024

Germany will support green hydrogen projects in other countries with up to 350 million euros by 2024 and has published a directive with the relevant guidelines, the economy ministry said in a press release. The funding directive specifically supports projects for the production and further processing of green hydrogen as well as for the storage, transport and use of hydrogen in countries outside the EU through an investment grant for the facilities worth up to 15 million euros each. The directive is “key to implementing the national hydrogen strategy,” economy minister Peter Altmaier said. The support for pilot projects abroad has also strengthened Germany’s position as an industry and export location, because German companies are among the world leaders in the required technologies, he added.

While Germany is aiming for technological leadership in green hydrogen solutions, other countries are better suited for large-scale production, as better conditions for renewable energies guarantee more efficient and cost-effective generation. Germany’s national hydrogen strategy, which was presented in 2020, puts a clear focus on green hydrogen at the expense of support for using controversial carbon capture and storage (CCS) to produce hydrogen from natural gas.