HyStarter: Hydrogen region East Frisia

HyStarter: Hydrogen region East Frisia

von | Okt. 4, 2023 | Allgemein, Netzwerkinformation, News, Wasserstoffregion

PROJECTS

Source: Lisa Ulferts

Characterized by a high supply of renewable energies: The coastal region of East Frisia

HyStarter: Hydrogen region East Frisia

The coastal region of East Frisia in the far northwest of Lower Saxony is made up of the three districts of Aurich, Leer and Wittmund as well as the independent city of Emden. The region covers an area of 3,142 square kilometers and is already a pioneer of the energy transition thanks to its location on the coast. The region has an abundant supply of renewable energies, particularly due to wind energy, which is why the development of a green hydrogen economy is also being promoted locally. The H2-Ostfriesland initiative was founded for this purpose and successfully applied to become a HyStarter region as part of the HyLand competition.

"HyStarter" successfully completed in East Frisia - East Frisian hydrogen alliance continues its work and is "ready for the next phase".

The "HyStarter Ostfriesland" funding project was successfully completed at a closing event at the end of September 2023. For one year, more than 30 regional companies, organizations, administrations and political representatives worked on ways to develop the hydrogen economy in East Frisia. The aim is not only to produce and store hydrogen sustainably on site, but also to use it in a variety of ways - for example in shipbuilding. In this context, a roadmap was drawn up, which is now to be further implemented through the search for suitable funding programs for individual measures.

Aurich District Administrator Olaf Meinen commented during the closing event: "When the "Hydrogen Round Table" was formed in 2021, everyone agreed that the East Frisian peninsula is the perfect location for hydrogen activities". Consequently, the H2 East Frisia initiative will also be continued after the HyStarter funding comes to an end. Find out more

In the region with its approximately 469,000 inhabitants, the H2-Ostfriesland initiative has been formed by the four local authorities, Emden/Leer University of Applied Sciences, the Chamber of Industry and Commerce for East Friesland and Papenburg and MARIKO GmbH to work on solutions for a sustainable hydrogen economy. To this end, the initiative aims to help initiate hydrogen projects, be available to answer questions and provide ideas for regional players and network relevant players who are involved in research and project work in the field of hydrogen.

Due to the high supply of wind energy, the planned hydrogen activities in the region include in particular the production of green hydrogen through electrolysis, but also the construction of hydrogen filling stations and the initiation and development of hydrogen projects in the areas of research, development and innovation. In addition, a hydrogen development center is to be set up, a hydrogen network is to be established in East Frisia and cross-border cooperation in the field of hydrogen with the Netherlands is to be established.

Source: AdobeStock_192820721

Network of strong partners

The aim is also to position East Frisia nationally as a green hydrogen region. Numerous players from business and society are involved in the hydrogen initiative, including B.u.S.
Metallverarbeitungs GmbH, B+ INGENIEUR Gesellschaft mbH, Enercon GmbH, EWE AG, Gebr. Decker GmbH, H2Nord GmbH & Co. KG, SCORE-Tankstellen und Mineralölhandels-GmbH, Spedition Weets GmbH, STORAG ETZEL GmbH, Weser-Ems Busverkehr GmbH (WEB) and many other companies and organizations.

Successful application as a "HyStarter hydrogen region"

With its renewable energy generation plants, East Frisia is making a major contribution to the energy transition. The region has also been able to officially call itself a "HyStarter hydrogen region" since 2021. Planning for the hydrogen region began in January 2021, when the Ostfrieslandplan working group set up the "Hydrogen Round Table", which is made up of representatives from the districts of Aurich, Leer and Wittmund, the independent city of Emden, the Chamber of Industry and Commerce for East Frisia and Papenburg, the Office for Regional Development, Emden/Leer University of Applied Sciences and MARIKO gemeinnützige GmbH from Leer. In April 2021, the East Frisia region then applied for the HyLand II competition - and was successfully named a HyStarter region in September 2021. The region received one year of technical and organizational support in the development of a regionally tailored hydrogen concept and the formation of a network for local hydrogen players, with a special focus on transport applications. HyStarter was an important building block for networking the regional players, pooling their knowledge and experience and developing initial concrete project ideas.

Source: Volker Kuhnert

At the HyStarter Ostfriesland strategy dialog in April 2023, possibilities for developing the regional hydrogen economy were discussed, among other things.

More information and contact:

Further information can be found at the H2-Ostfriesland initiative. To the website

H2-East Frisia

Birte Ricklefs

E-mail: bricklefs@landkreis-aurich.de
04941 16 8035

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    Updating the national hydrogen strategy

    Updating the national hydrogen strategy

    von | Juli 27, 2023 | Netzwerkinformation, News, Pressemitteilungen

    Credit DBT Inga HaarSource: © BMBF/Hans-Joachim Rickel

    From left to right: Robert Habeck, Bettina Stark-Watzinger and Volker Wissing at the presentation of the update of the National Hydrogen Strategy. 

    Federal Cabinet adopts update of the National Hydrogen Strategy

    On July 26, 2023, the Federal Cabinet decided to update the National Hydrogen Strategy. The federal government wants to:

     

    • accelerate the market ramp-up with an increase in domestic production to 10GW by 2030,
    • build a German hydrogen infrastructure with the hydrogen core network,
    • Establish hydrogen applications in industry, heavy goods vehicles and the energy sector. The heating sector is now also being taken into account with references to the Building Energy Act (GEG). 
    • Creating planning security through a legal framework, 
    • create a separate import strategy. 
    To the NWS

    Dr. Alexander Bedrunka, Project Manager of the Lower Saxony Hydrogen Network at the Climate Protection and Energy Agency of Lower Saxony, comments: "It is very pleasing that the update of the National Hydrogen Strategy has finally been adopted. It contains a large number of sensible measures that can significantly accelerate the ramp-up of the hydrogen economy. The increase in electrolysis capacity from 5 to 10 GW and thus the strengthening of domestic production is a positive signal. In this context, Lower Saxony plays a central role together with the other northern German states.

    As a large part of our demand has to be covered by imports, an import strategy urgently needs to be developed and published. Only in this way can necessary projects be implemented promptly with potential export countries. Otherwise, there is a risk that we will not be able to meet our hydrogen demand in 2030.

    The hydrogen core network, which was published on 12.07.23 by FNB Gas e.V. as part of the NWS, provides a good basis for the development of a nationwide transport infrastructure. For the further development of the hydrogen core network, it is particularly important to clarify where hydrogen will be required in the future and in what quantities, and where suitable locations for electrolysers can be found to serve the system. Storage options must also be given greater consideration here. This requires close cooperation between the federal and state governments."

    Dr. Mehrdad Payandeh, Chairman of the DGB Lower Saxony and partner of the NWN: "We demand that good working conditions are always guaranteed in the promotion and transformation aid within the framework of the hydrogen strategy. This is of great importance in order to ensure the social compatibility of the socio-ecological transformation and to make employees the shapers of the transformation.

    For example, it is important to enforce or maintain collective wage agreements with fair wages and, accordingly, to only award public contracts to companies bound by collective agreements in the further process of ramping up the hydrogen economy. Co-determination structures in companies also need to be strengthened so that the upcoming changes in the economy are not carried out on the backs of employees or companies forego their expertise.

    The technological openness with regard to the various types of hydrogen is to be welcomed. At the same time, however, we need to have an open discussion about the use of CCS (carbon capture and storage) in order to adequately assess the impact on the environment.

    Finally, we emphasize the importance of increased measures for the qualification and further training of skilled workers. Unfortunately, these aspects are neglected in the update of the National Hydrogen Strategy. Only through targeted training and further education can we meet the demand for skilled workers in the developing areas of hydrogen technology and successfully manage structural change. It is crucial to actively involve employees in the change processes and provide them with the necessary skills to benefit from the opportunities of the hydrogen economy. Only in this way can the socio-ecological transformation succeed."

    Dr. Volker Müller, Managing Director of Unternehmerverbände Niedersachsen e.V. (UVN), partner of the NWN: "The adoption of the update of the National Hydrogen Strategy (NWS) is extremely pleasing, as it contains a large number of sensible measures that can significantly accelerate the ramp-up of the hydrogen economy and create a basis for strengthening Germany as an industrial country and business location as well as for sustainable jobs. The increase in electrolysis capacity from 5 to 10 GW is particularly positive and will enable Lower Saxony to play a central role in conjunction with the other northern German states."

    Further reactions from the industry:

    Christiane Averbeck, Managing Director of Climate Alliance Germany and member of the National Hydrogen Council

    "Since hydrogen will remain a scarce commodity worldwide despite the greatest efforts, there must also be a clear prioritization of the areas of application - hydrogen should not be used in decentralized heat supply, for example, but rather in industry!"(To the press release)

    Verena Graichen, Deputy Chairwoman of BUND and member of the National Hydrogen Council

    "Two other important aspects have been completely missing from the strategy so far: efficiency and reducing energy demand."(To the press release)

    Dr. Simone Peter, President of the German Renewable Energy Federation (BEE)

    "[...] Instead of focusing on domestic potential for the production of green hydrogen, the German government's strategy is primarily aimed at imports by ship, including blue hydrogen. Due to its upstream chain emissions, blue hydrogen is not only much more harmful to the climate than green hydrogen, but also more expensive, as a recent study by the Wuppertal Institute showed."(To the press release)

    Kerstin Andreae, Chairwoman of the BDEW Executive Board

    "[...] The German government must back up its target of 10 GW of domestic electrolysis capacity by 2030 with more concrete measures and support programs - both on the generation and demand side."(To the press release)

    Lower Saxony's hydrogen map

    Lower Saxony's hydrogen map

    from | May 30, 2023 | General, Network information, News, Press releases

    Credit DBT Inga HaarSource: LGLN

    Lower Saxony's hydrogen map 

    The hydrogen map: Lower Saxony's projects at a glance! Which projects are being built where? What is being planned? What is being implemented?

    On the hydrogen map for Lower Saxony, you can see what projects already exist in your region and get involved if necessary. It also makes it easier to find similar projects, make contact and exchange experiences with other project planners. In addition, the map also provides a better overview of potential locations - for example, where pipelines will run and where hydrogen sources and sinks will be created. Many research projects are also listed on the map.

    Click here for the map. 

    "Lower Saxony has the potential to become a hub for green hydrogen. In order to achieve this, we need to join forces and bring together the players from politics, research and business. The new interactive map provides the concise overview that is needed," says Christian MeyerLower Saxony's Minister for the Environment, Energy and Climate Protection.

    Regional Minister Wiebke Osigus"The relaunch provides an excellent basis for information on the wide range of hydrogen activities in Lower Saxony. The map not only provides a good overview, but also has great potential for further and even more comprehensive uses. This will help us to ramp up the hydrogen economy in Lower Saxony."

    Minister of Economic Affairs Olaf Lies" Lower Saxony is Germany's energy hub. We recognized the importance of the hydrogen economy for climate protection and for the economic development of northern Germany at an early stage. The map shows very clearly that we are pioneers when it comes to expanding the hydrogen economy in Germany."

    In order to make all information accessible at a glance, we have pushed ahead with the relaunch of the hydrogen map, which the Lower Saxony Ministry for Federal and European Affairs and Regional Development launched back in 2020 with the LGLN State Office for Geoinformation and Land Surveying of Lower Saxony.

    NWN and the state government of Lower Saxony are working closely together on the ongoing development of the map in order to provide a comprehensive picture of hydrogen activities, particularly for industry and research.

    EU defines renewable hydrogen

    EU defines renewable hydrogen

    von | März 6, 2023 | Netzwerkinformation, News, Pressemitteilungen

    Credit DBT Inga HaarSource: NWN/Rainer Jensen

    EU Commission defines renewable hydrogen

    Hydrogen is a central component of the energy transformation. For this, it is important that renewable (green) hydrogen is used in the future. The EU Commission has recently published a delegated act that defines theconditions under which electricity may be used for hydrogen production and when the resulting hydrogen is recognizedas "renewable". The delegated act focuses on hydrogen of non-biogenic origin. This means that primarily hydrogen from electrolysis is meant and not from methane pyrolysis.

    Renewable hydrogen 

    Source: NWN/Daniel George

    Larissa El Lahib, business lawyer and project manager on the part of the Lower Saxony Business Associations (UVN) in the NWN, explains the draft:

    There are different possibilities when electricity for the production of hydrogen in an electrolyser can be considered renewable. which can be found in Article 3 and Article 4. For example, in the case of electricity from the grid, it is counted as renewable for hydrogen production if the following conditions are met at the electrolyzer:

    • is located in a power bid zone with a RE share of more than 90 percent,
    • or it is located in an electricity bidding zone with an emission intensity of electricity generation of less than 18 g CO2e per MJ / 65 g CO2e per kWh
    • or if the criteria of additionality and the conditions of temporal and spatial correlation are present.

    At this means:

    • "Additionality": e.g., a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) has been entered into for electricity from a RE facility and the electricity is from a RE facility that was commissioned no earlier than 36 months prior to the electrolyzer. In addition, there must be no public subsidy.

    There would be a transition period for projects placed in service before January 1, 2028.

    • "temporal correlation": e.g. the RES-E was produced in the same hour as the hydrogen. However, this is not to apply until 2030. Until the end of 2029, the RES-E may be produced in the same month as the hydrogen. In addition, Article 6 must be observed here.
    • "Geographical correlation": e.g., RES-E and hydrogen were basically generated in the same electricity bidding zone (Article 7).

    Where do we go from here? The EU Parliament and Council now have two months to consider the two pieces of legislation. They can either be adopted or rejected, but not amended.

     

    Assessments from the industry

    Source: NWN/Daniel GeorgeDr. Alexander Bedrunka, Technical Officer at KEAN and Project Manager NWN On the meaning of the Delegated Act and the definition: 

    We have waited two years for this decision and have thus been on the brakes for two years in terms of transformation. We therefore welcome the fact that the Delegated Act is finally available and thus ensures planning security for companies.

    The industry was concerned in advance that the regulations would be too detailed - the EU is meeting this concern with a gradual introduction, in particular the temporal correlation. Nevertheless, there is criticism: From 2028, the regulations would unnecessarily restrict production for electrolysers and increase the costs of domestic hydrogen production.  

    Environmental associations are pleased with the decision to link hydrogen production to the expansion of renewable electricity in order to counteract a slowdown in expansion. At the same time, however, they criticize the fact that hydrogen from nuclear power is recognized as renewable in France and Sweden. In principle, the EU rules should also be read here as meaning that the expansion of renewables must be accelerated. 

    Even though the current focus is often on America and the Inflation Reduction Act, Europe is considered a pioneer worldwide with this bill. No other country has such a comprehensive set of regulations defining renewable hydrogen. 

     

    In conversation with Tobias Moldenhauer from EWE

    In conversation with Tobias Moldenhauer from EWE

    von | Dez. 1, 2022 | Interview, Netzwerkinformation, News, Pressemitteilungen

    Credit DBT Inga HaarSource: private

    Tobias Moldenhauer, Head of Hydrogen in the Hydrogen and Large-scale Storage business area at EWE AG in Oldenburg.

    "What it needs now is a hydrogen acceleration bill".

    TES-H2 and EWE are planning to build a 500 MW electrolyzer at the Wilhelmshaven Green Energy Hub. With this, the two companies are taking another important step for the energy transition.

    The electrolyzer is scheduled to come on stream from 2028. The capacity will initially be 500 megawatts, and will later be expanded to a total capacity of 1 gigawatt with another planned plant. The signing of a memorandum of understanding between the two companies is in line with Germany's energy strategy to extract clean energy from the North Sea and expand supplies for hydrogen production. More info on the project can be found here.

    Lis Blume from the NWN took this cooperation as an opportunity to talk to Tobias Moldenhauer, Head of Hydrogen in the Hydrogen and Large Storage Business Unit of EWE AG.

     

    Tobias, together with TES-H2, EWE is building a 500 MW electrolyzer in Wilhelmshaven. In a second step, the capacity is then to be expanded to 1 GW. Can you briefly describe the significance of this project for the energy transition in Lower Saxony and Germany? 

    We are firmly convinced that the energy transition and the associated shift away from fossil fuels will succeed with green hydrogen. In this way, we are creating a way to make renewable energies storable. Green hydrogen will thus become an important component of the energy future in the region where the best conditions exist for the center of a green, European hydrogen economy: northwest Germany. Here in the region, the share of renewable energies is high and there are numerous infrastructure components, such as gas storage facilities and one of the largest gas distribution networks in Germany. All the measures and projects build on each other and have a common goal: to drive the market ramp-up of the hydrogen economy. We want to tackle and drive this forward together with partners like TES. To this end, we recently sealed a joint declaration of intent.

    This is not your first project in the hydrogen economy. What "learnings" from the other projects can you apply here?

    We are still at the beginning of numerous hydrogen projects along the entire value chain, from generation, transport and storage to application in industry and heavy-duty transport. We are cooperating with other companies and jointly developing ideas and projects to drive the ramp-up of the hydrogen economy. We already have a hydrogen production demonstrator in operation and a hydrogen filling station, and others are currently being implemented. Of course, we are also taking the findings from this into the development of large-scale projects. We are also already creating facts in hydrogen storage. We are currently building a test cavern in Rüdersdorf, Brandenburg, and together with DLR are testing the storage and retrieval of hydrogen in an underground cavity and the quality of the hydrogen after it has been removed from the cavern. We already reached an important milestone a few weeks ago: The 1,000-meter supply line to the cavern has been proven to be leak-proof.

    For other hydrogen projects, such as Clean Hydrogen Coastline or Hyways for Future, EWE has submitted funding applications to the state and federal governments. Not this time. Why?

    In order to be able to submit a funding application, concrete preliminary project planning is first necessary. With the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding between EWE and TES-H2, i.e. a joint declaration of intent, we are only now entering into this preliminary planning. As things stand, we will therefore also be dependent on subsidies for this electrolysis project.

    The new government of Lower Saxony is talking about Germany's speed and energy transition turbo for such projects. Has the turbo already arrived in practice?

    We very much hope that approval processes will become leaner for energy transition projects. With the new LNG Acceleration Act, Germany has shown that this is possible. What is needed now is an appropriate legal framework for the swift implementation of all energy transition projects, for example through a hydrogen acceleration law.

    You want to get the green electricity for electrolysis from the wind farms in the North Sea. Will offshore wind be developed to the point where sufficient energy is available for electrolysis by 2028?

    The expansion of renewables - whether onshore or offshore wind energy - naturally goes hand in hand with the expansion of the hydrogen economy. We therefore assume that by the time our planned electrolyzer in Wilhelmshaven goes into operation in 2028, the expansion of wind energy will have progressed accordingly, so that we do not fear any bottleneck in the procurement of green electricity for hydrogen production. We are of course in close consultation with the grid operators on this.

    Thank you very much.

     

     

    Jordan- an exporter of hydrogen?

    Jordan- an exporter of hydrogen?

    von | Nov. 15, 2022 | Netzwerkinformation, News, Pressemitteilungen

    Credit DBT Inga HaarSource: NWN

    Hydrogen from Jordan despite water shortage?

    The goal of the Lower Saxony state government is to make Lower Saxony a gateway and hub for renewable energies. With its deep-sea ports, the state has ideal conditions for importing green hydrogen. The EU has already signed agreements with Namibia and Egypt for such energy partnerships. Jordan is also considering getting into the export of hydrogen.

    Jordan has an average of about 300 sunny days per year - and can potentially generate high amounts of renewable PV electricity. This means that the country in principle offers good conditions for the development of a hydrogen economy and the export of green hydrogen. On the other hand, however, the amount of water in the country is limited, so conflicts of use could arise.

    Within the framework of the Wuppertal Institute and supported by the foreign office of the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung in Jordan, possibilities for the development of a hydrogen economy in Jordan were discussed - taking into account the critical situation in the water sector. NWN project manager Dr. Alexander Bedrunka was represented in the dialogue and reports on the situation in Jordan.

    At the end of September, the first part of the dialog started with the visit of a Jordanian delegation to Wuppertal. Here, in addition to various presentations around the topics of water and hydrogen, practical examples such as the waste incineration plant in Wuppertal were shown. Dr. Alexander Bedrunka was invited to present the hydrogen economy in Lower Saxony as well as lighthouse projects that could be of interest to Jordan. "In recent years, a large number of hydrogen projects along the entire value chain have emerged in Lower Saxony. For representatives from a country like Jordan, which is still at the very beginning of hydrogen, it was therefore interesting to see how diverse the projects are in our country," said Bedrunka.

    The second part of the dialogue took place at the end of October with a German delegation in Jordan, where Dr. Alexander Bedrunka was also represented. The aim of the workshop was to identify potential hydrogen applications for Jordan from the point of view of the existing water shortage.

     

    Building a hydrogen economy in Jordan - what are the options for action?

     

     

    "Unlike Lower Saxony with its steel industry, Jordan does not have an industry that requires large quantities of hydrogen for decarbonization and thus would justify the development of a large-scale hydrogen economy for domestic benefit. Furthermore, the long-term storage capability of hydrogen is also not imperative, as Jordan has an average of 300 days of sunshine per year. Therefore, battery and pumped storage are more likely to be used to store excess energy."

     

    Dr. Alexander Bedrunka, NWN Project Manager

    Source: NWN/Rainer Jensen

    Jordan's second largest CO2 emitter after industry is the mobility sector with 45%. To reduce CO2 emissions, Jordan is investing heavily in electric mobility. Currently, 40,000 battery electric vehicles are registered and 1,000 e-vehicles are added every month. The use of hydrogen, especially for special-purpose and commercial vehicles, could accelerate CO2 reduction, but this would require an H2 refueling infrastructure to be built in parallel with charging stations, similar to the one in Germany.

    In addition, it initially makes sense to use the renewable electricity from PV systems for self-consumption, since currently 84% of the energy demand in Jordan is still covered by energy imports. In order to reduce the import share, a massive expansion of renewable energies is therefore taking place. The 2030 targets of meeting 14% of primary energy demand and 31% of electricity demand via renewable energy were (expected to be) already achieved in 2021. "Due to the high PV potential, the question in Jordan is whether hydrogen has a future as an export product," Bedrunka explained.

    Source: Wittop

    Hydrogen despite water shortage? On delegation trip in Jordan at the workshop.

    Water shortage limits potential hydrogen production

    It is imperative to take a look at the water sector in Jordan. Basically, there is less water available in Jordan than is needed. The demand is continuously increasing due to the influx of refugees from neighboring countries. At the same time, the country's water supply is declining. Much water is needed for domestic agriculture. "So the production of hydrogen is also always in conflict with other water uses. This does not mean that hydrogen cannot be produced in Jordan in principle, because exporting hydrogen offers some potential for the country from an economic point of view. On the other hand, this export, which would indirectly involve the export of water, is proving difficult," Bedrunka said. Based on the various impulses during the workshop, which came from the different sectors, working groups identified both positive effects and negative consequences from the use of hydrogen in Jordan. Based on this, the participants developed proposals for solutions as to what the next steps for the topic of hydrogen in Jordan could look like.

     

    "Since there are no major drivers for building a hydrogen economy, decentralized pilot projects should be initiated first," Bedrunka said of the outcome of the delegation trip. "One focus can be on holistic projects that do not focus exclusively on hydrogen in electrolysis, but take into account sector coupling, i.e., using the remaining byproducts such as waste heat and oxygen. These projects should also lead to building hydrogen expertise in Jordan and training relevant professionals."

    The Lower Saxony Hydrogen Network wants to continue to accompany the situation in Jordan in the future and participate in the initiation of pilot projects. If you are basically interested in participating in possible pilot projects in Jordan, please feel free to contact us at netzwerk[at]wasserstoff-niedersachsen.de. As soon as it goes into a more concrete phase of project development, we will contact you.

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