High-level delegation from Hanover at the H2 User Center Herten
State Secretary Oliver Wittke also present for part of the visit
On August 21, 2019, the h2-netzwerk-ruhr was pleased to welcome a high-level delegation from the State Parliament of Lower Saxony. At the suggestion of the Hanover Chamber of Skilled Crafts, eight members of the CDU parliamentary group followed an invitation to a workshop discussion entitled “Crafts meet Politics” on the subject of hydrogen. The District Administrator of Recklinghausen, Cay Süberkrüb, personally welcomed the guests from the north.
Representing the network, Volker Lindner and Julian Klug provided information on fuel cell and hydrogen technology activities in the Ruhr region. Dr. Michael Weber from EnergieAgentur.NRW reported on activities in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, covering everything from hydrogen production using surplus renewable electricity to its use in heavy-duty transport, the chemical industry, and the steel industry. Notably, ThyssenKrupp has announced that its steel production is to be completely CO2-free by 2050 through the use of hydrogen.
Dr. Babette Nieder, the City of Herten’s Commissioner for Climate Protection and Innovation, presented the user center and the wind power electrolysis system installed there. In addition, HYREF, a company based at the user center, has a contract to install off-grid power supplies for mobile phone masts in remote areas.
In addition to the members of the state parliament, led by the deputy chair of the CDU parliamentary group Mareike Wulf and the economic policy spokesperson for the CDU Lower Saxony, Karl-Heinz Bley, the leadership of the Chamber of Skilled Crafts was present, including Vice President Thomas Gehre and Managing Director Peter Karst. Several master craftsmen were among the members of parliament, showing particular interest in the potential applications of hydrogen in the transport and mobility sector, as well as for the heating and power supply of buildings.
From theory to practice
The delegation was first driven to the Hoheward slag heap in hydrogen-powered cars from Toyota and Hyundai, where the guests enjoyed a view over the entire Ruhr region—and were able to see for themselves that the “Kohlenpott” has since become a green region. The group then visited the Glückauf car dealership in Gelsenkirchen, where owner Dietlinde Stüben-Endres demonstrated the Toyota Mirai and provided information on the future of car dealerships and workshops in the era of the energy transition. Here, State Secretary Oliver Wittke from the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs joined the group. He explained the Federal Ministry’s strategy regarding the mobility transition. For Volker Lindner, Chairman of h2-netzwerk-ruhr and former City Planning Director of Herten, the State Secretary’s participation was a strong signal that the region’s efforts to promote the hydrogen economy are also being recognized in Berlin.
At the end of the trip, the company Hydrogenics was visited at the Wiesenbusch Innovation Center in Gladbeck. Martin Tröger presented the company’s activities, which currently include equipping four Scania heavy-duty vehicles with fuel cell drives—for the Norwegian market!
Mareike Wulf (Member of the State Parliament) and Peter Karst (Managing Director of the Chamber of Skilled Crafts) drew a very positive conclusion from their visit. Karl-Heinz Bley (Member of the State Parliament) summarized: “With the insights gained today, we will strive in our political work to help the energy source hydrogen gain more attention in Lower Saxony as well.”
Cover photo: The delegation from Hanover in front of the Glückauf car dealership in Gelsenkirchen-Buer. Fourth from the left is State Secretary Oliver Wittke from the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs; third from the left is Thomas Gehre, Vice President of the Hanover Chamber of Skilled Crafts; in the center is Dietlinde Stüben-Endres, owner of the dealership and Senior Guild Master; seventh from the right is Volker Lindner, Chairman of h2-netzwerk-ruhr e.V.
Photos: Markus Mucha