Press release
ISFH study shows: Lower Saxony needs significantly more green hydrogen as early as 2030
For a successful, climate-neutral transformation of Lower Saxony's energy system and industry by the middle of the century, Lower Saxony must produce significantly more green hydrogen, according to a recent study by the Institute for Solar Energy Research (ISFH) in cooperation with Leibniz University Hannover . In Lower Saxony alone, the demand for hydrogen production capacity in 2030 is significantly higher than the National Hydrogen Strategy predicts for the whole of Germany.
Specifically, the "Simulative Short Study on the Use of Hydrogen Technology in Lower Saxony" (SiKuWa) concludes that Lower Saxony needs at least 13 gigawatts of electrolysis capacity for its own production of hydrogen. This conclusion is in stark contrast to the five gigawatts forecast in the National Hydrogen Strategy for Germany as a whole in 2030. The future electrolyser capacity within Germany has enormous consequences for the security of supply and cost reduction of green hydrogen.
Theexpansion of renewable energy sources plays a central role in the production of green hydrogen. The study takes into account current social acceptance problems of onshore wind power plants and roof area limitations for photovoltaic plants. However, in order to have enough energy available for the domestic production of green hydrogen in Lower Saxony, an expansion of wind power plants in particular is necessary at least up to the set capacity limit of 20 gigawatts in 2030, with a simultaneous strong expansion of solar energy.
Green hydrogen should be used primarily to decarbonise the basic materials and chemical industries, as well as in hydrogen power plants. For the building sector and individual mobility, on the other hand, hydrogen plays no or only a subordinate role, according to the study. Through the use of heat pumps and battery-electric cars, significantly more energy-efficient technologies are already available that enable a faster and more cost-effective reduction of greenhouse gas emissions.
The study was funded by the Lower Saxony Ministry for the Environment, Energy, Building and Climate Protection. You can read more about the study at ISFH.
