Science&Tech Germany relies on hydrogen, a rather unstable ally Posted on June 12, 2020 2 min read Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Google+ Germany is fully committed to hydrogen to help make the industry more sustainable. The government in Berlin has therefore adopted a 38-measure plan to boost the production and use of hydrogen and increase spending on infrastructure, research and innovation. By 2030, Germany wants to have the capacity to generate 5 Gigawatts of hydrogen. That should have doubled five years later. In doing so, the country mainly focuses on so-called green hydrogen, which is produced by electrolysis. In that process, water is separated into oxygen and hydrogen by means of electricity. In order for that hydrogen to also be green, the required electricity must come from a renewable source, such as wind and solar energy. Until all necessary hydrogen can be generated in a green way, so-called blue hydrogen is also permitted. That is hydrogen that has been generated with electricity that has been generated with fossil fuels such as coal and gas, but whose CO2 emissions have been captured. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7bFJK5kU_UQ To achieve the goals, Berlin is allocating 9 billion euros for local hydrogen production, among other things. “We are now giving companies a clear framework to make their investment decisions,” said transport minister Andreas Scheuer. Steel company Thyssenkrupp is already going to collaborate with energy company RWE to generate hydrogen for steel production. The first deliveries should start in the middle of this decade.
