"Hydrogen can help us to become more independent and sovereign" - with this key message, European and Regional Minister Birgit Honé opened a joint online event on hydrogen mobility organized by the Ministry of Federal and European Affairs and Regional Development and the Lower Saxony Hydrogen Network (NWN). A rapid expansion of the hydrogen economy could free us from our dependence on fossil fuels - including in the mobility sector, as the online event on March 21 showed.

The event focused on the European Union's "Fit for 55" package, which aims to accelerate the use of green hydrogen and its derivatives in the transport sector. In addition to binding measures to promote the use of sustainable fuels for aviation and shipping, including those based on hydrogen, the EU Commission has presented a proposal for a regulation that, for the first time, sets binding Europe-wide expansion targets for a hydrogen refueling infrastructure. Hydrogen mobility is therefore gaining momentum - according to Minister Honé, however, the use of green hydrogen must be expanded primarily in areas where direct electrification does not make sense.

This was also emphasized by Dr. Matthes, member of the National Hydrogen Council (NWR) and research coordinator at the Öko-Institut. According to a study by the Öko-Institut, hydrogen should primarily be used in areas where there is no other option for decarbonization - i.e. in the industrial sectors of steel, chemicals and cement, but also in aviation and shipping.

Closing ranks between politics, science and industry necessary

After the introduction to the political and scientific framework, it was time to get into practice. Video clips from hydrogen stakeholders in Lower Saxony showed the different needs of the affected sectors with a view to the ramp-up of a hydrogen economy. In addition to the recruitment and training of skilled workers, regulatory instruments were also addressed in order to make hydrogen production more cost-effective.

Nicole Dreyer-Langlet from Airbus explained the company's plans to use the ZEROe hydrogen aircraft in air traffic by 2035. A major challenge on the way to the serial use of hydrogen aircraft is the hydrogen ecosystem required for aviation. In order to overcome this challenge, politics, science and industry need to join forces. At the same time, the planned IPCEI projects must be implemented quickly in order to achieve the desired goals, said Dreyer-Langlet.

Katja Baumann from MARIKO GmbH, which is active in the maritime industry, had similar wishes. Ms. Baumann outlined the major challenge of reducing_{CO2 emissions} in shipping by at least 55% by 2030. Hydrogen could play a central role in this - but must come from renewable sources. Ms. Baumann identified great potential for seaports - namely in their function as an "energy hub" for the import and distribution of green hydrogen. On the European side, MARIKO GmbH would like to see regulations that apply to all modes of transport in order to avoid distortions of competition.

In her presentation, Nora Oberländer from H2 Mobility focused on the hydrogen infrastructure, which is of central importance in the ramp-up of hydrogen mobility. H2 Mobility not only plans and builds hydrogen filling stations, but is also the world's largest operator in this field. According to Oberländer, both the approval process and the allocation of funding must be simplified for a successful hydrogen infrastructure. In addition, vehicles and hydrogen infrastructure should be considered together in order to successfully shape hydrogen mobility at regional, national and European level.

Conclusion

The participants agreed that hydrogen mobility - especially in Lower Saxony - has great potential. With the Fit for 55 package, the EU Commission has defined important framework conditions to accelerate the use of hydrogen in the mobility sector. However, a successful ramp-up of hydrogen mobility in Lower Saxony requires cooperation between politics, science and industry. From the political side, regulations are therefore needed that apply to everyone, simple approval procedures and targeted funding instruments without high access hurdles, as well as the rapid approval of planned large-scale projects.

You can download the individual presentations by clicking on the logos below.