Berlin (energate) - For the BDEW, the hydrogen ramp-up is not fast enough. The association is thus proposing a separate law that should make hydrogen available within the next five years. In addition to climate protection, the BDEW (Federal Association of the German Energy and Water Industries) cites Russia's war in Ukraine as the main reason for the necessary acceleration of the ramp-up: natural gas plays a major role in the energy supply and still comes to a large extent from Russia - the transformation of the gas industry must therefore be accelerated. To this end, the association has now presented a 25-page paper.
According to the paper, a future "hydrogen ramp-up law" must contain 14 concrete measures, including a new federal funding programme that should explicitly provide financial support for electrolysers and hydrogen consumers - as is already the case with the planned promotion of 4,000 MW of electrolysis capacity. The EEG 2023 does provide for innovation tenders that also address the expansion of green power plants with connected electrolysers. But in BDEW's view, this will not make a significant contribution to the general hydrogen ramp-up. The association says that even the 4,000 MW targeted in the emergency climate protection programme are not enough to achieve the German government's goal of 10,000 MW of electrolysis capacity by 2030.
RED II slows down hydrogen market
The association sees Contracts for Difference as one means of stimulating investment, adding that "clear and reliable" framework conditions are needed. It says that one obstacle is, for example, the "strict" criteria for the purchase of electricity for the production of green hydrogen in the European Union's Renewable Energy Directive RED II. Implemented in its current form, this would "massively slow down" a liquid hydrogen market. In this context,
the new "RePowerEU" measures are to be welcomed - they show a growing awareness of the problem.
Further measures are to stimulate demand for hydrogen, support the development of infrastructures in Germany and Europe and enable imports from non-EU countries. The position paper is available
online as a PDF. /dz
