Habeck sees milestone
EU gives green light to billion-euro hydrogen projects
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In the fight against climate change, industry and government are also focusing on the expansion of hydrogen. This could now get a boost: The EU Commission is paving the way for billions in state funding.
The EU Commission has approved a total of 24 German hydrogen projects, paving the way for billions in state aid. The projects are part of the so-called infrastructure wave, which brings together a total of 33 projects in the EU, the Federal Ministry of Economics announced.
The federal and state governments are planning to fund the 24 projects with 4.6 billion euros. Since the companies themselves are also providing 3.4 billion euros, 8 billion euros will be available. Economics Minister Robert Habeck spoke of a milestone for the ramp-up of the water industry.
Funding is provided for so-called IPCEI projects (Important Project of Common European Interest), from the production of green hydrogen to transport and storage infrastructure and industrial use. The projects are intended to make a significant contribution to the implementation of the National Hydrogen Strategy and to achieving the goals of the European Union's environmental, energy and transport strategy.
RWE also involved in project
State aid is subject to strict rules in the EU to avoid distortion of competition. The project, called “IPCEI Hy2Infra”, was prepared by Germany together with six other EU countries. According to the information, it consists of a total of 33 individual projects from 32 companies. The energy company RWE is participating from Germany. The participating companies will also work with external partners such as potential buyers and universities across Europe.
The responsible EU Commissioner Margrethe Vestager said that, for example, participants in the “West German Cluster” are building three electrolyzers in the Rhine-Ruhr region. These devices are used to produce hydrogen. Powered by renewable energy, hydrogen from electrolyzers can be a climate-friendly alternative to gas or used as fuel for trucks.
Vestager announced that by mid-2027, the hydrogen produced will be available to companies in the steel, cement, chemical and refinery industries as well as the mobility sector. This is intended to significantly reduce climate-damaging CO2 emissions. According to the information, part of the project is also an offshore pipeline project in Germany, through which hydrogen will be produced using wind energy from the North Sea.
