Politics and Law

Ahead of the World Climate Conference, the EU environment ministers have agreed to weaken the European climate targets. This includes a later introduction of emissions trading ETS2. 

The Federal Audit Office has criticized high costs and financial risks in hydrogen promotion. Industry associations are now taking a stand.

On September 15, the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWE) of Germany published the “Monitoring Report” on the energy transition. Minister Katherina Reiche also presented ten steps to improve the economic viability. When it comes to hydrogen, fixed targets appear to be a thing of the past. Instead, the ministry is taking a “flexible” and “technology-neutral” approach. Reiche speaks of aligning with demand and market needs. She ignores the necessity, outlined in the report, of first building up this demand.

For hydrogen to be able to be used as an important part of the energy transition comprehensively in industry, mobility and energy supply in Germany, new lines must be built and existing natural gas pipelines must also be upgraded for hydrogen transport. This can be challenging, as hydrogen is explosive and attacks the materials of the pipes. Professional material testing creates the necessary security regarding this.

When the European Hydrogen Bank’s first pilot auction (Innovation Fund Auction IF23) was announced on Sept. 5, 2023, it drew much attention. April 30, 2024, then saw the publication of the results for the pilot auction, for which the European Union was making EUR 800 million of support available. Seven projects from northern and southern Europe were successful in obtaining funding. The aim of the hydrogen auction is to accelerate the rollout of green hydrogen and send price signals by narrowing the cost gap between green and fossil-based hydrogen.

The European Commission is allocating nearly 720 million euros to seven projects for renewable hydrogen in Europe. Together, the involved stakeholders aim to produce 1.58 million tons of renewable hydrogen over ten years, thereby avoiding more than 10 million tons of CO2 emissions. Of the selected...

The decision has finally come. In mid-February 2024, the European Commission approved 24 German IPCEI projects aka Important Projects of Common European Interest. Within the framework of IPCEI Hydrogen, funding is granted to large-scale projects across the entire hydrogen value chain – from H₂ production and transportation to storage infrastructure and industrial deployment.