Vehicle and powertrain development company FEV, which has 20 years’ experience in the hydrogen technology sector, has announced it has joined the H2Global Foundation to achieve goals outlined in Germany’s National Hydrogen Strategy.
The foundation’s main goal is to support the production and import of green hydrogen and power-to-x products, alongside implementing the funding concept of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy.
“In order to achieve climate neutrality for the European economy, Germany and Europe will be dependent on energy imports in the future. ‘Green’ hydrogen, meaning hydrogen produced from renewable energies, can be used as a storage medium of these energies, as well as a basis for synthetic fuels, or directly in fuel cells and combustion engines. Therefore, it is important to accelerate the corresponding market ramp-up and establish a German, or even European, hydrogen economy,” said Stefan Pischinger, CEO, FEV.
“The transportation sector here in particular represents a significant demand. To achieve a rapid reduction of CO2 emissions in this field, the use of all available technology options is required.”
FEV and the H2Global Foundation have been entrusted to implement the funding concept, with the aim of not only promoting the market rollout of green hydrogen and hydrogen-related power-to-x products in Germany, but also developing local hydrogen economies in countries that export.
The German Society for International Cooperation (GIZ) first designed the market-oriented support program, that is currently under development by a group of experts, under the project sponsorship of the German Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Association (DWV). At present, the foundation is drafting a set of regulations and specifications to monitor compliance, and to validate conditions for funding set by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy, among others.
“To achieve national and international climate goals, a global approach to solutions, increased international cooperation, changed economies, and a systematic de-fossilization of national economies worldwide is required. Various regions are particularly attractive as strategic partners for future energy imports due to favorable wind and solar conditions for renewable energy production,” said Pischinger.
“However it is important to ensure that the export of energy sources does not come at the expense of the energy supply needed to service the exporting countries or slow down their own efforts for an energy turnaround, as this could create incentives to reinvest in petroleum-based energy sources. For us, a partnership of equals means that all parties should benefit.”