New members, new coordinators
h2-netzwerk-ruhr started 2020 with three new members
This year, h2-netzwerk-ruhr e.V. has already been able to welcome three new members and has now grown to 47 members. At the beginning of the year, Stadtwerke Haltern am See GmbH joined the network. Shortly afterwards, EUV Stadtbetriebe Castrop-Rauxel followed, and most recently Wirtschaftsförderungszentrum Lünen GmbH. The Chairman of the network, Volker Lindner, welcomed the new members and is pleased that “this gives our network greater weight at state level.”
H2 coordination complete
Two H2 coordinators for hydrogen activities in the Emscher-Lippe region had been approved by the Münster District Government for the regional economic development agency WiN Emscher-Lippe. Since March 15, 2020, the second position has now also been filled.
As early as November 2019, Dr Klaus Rammert-Bentlage took on this task in the WiN EL team. Dr Babette Nieder has now been hired as the second specialist . She comes from the City of Herten, where in recent years she was responsible for climate protection, renewable energies and, most recently, also for the H2 activities of the municipal economic development agency.
The two specialists are the contact persons for all companies and public bodies in the Emscher-Lippe region for all questions relating to hydrogen technology. They aim to raise awareness of the topic, connect companies, drive forward the exchange of information and provide information on funding opportunities. Dr Rammert-Bentlage and Dr Nieder are currently compiling an overview of all business activities in the hydrogen economy in the Emscher-Lippe region and are using this to develop an H2 strategy for future development in the Emscher-Lippe region.
The h2-netzwerk-ruhr had strongly supported the creation of these positions, which are funded by the state with 90% of personnel and material costs. Volker Lindner explained: “In terms of its economic development, the Emscher-Lippe region is still lagging behind the core region of the Ruhr area. However, it has a wide range of expertise in H2 technology, which can be better linked and strengthened through the work of the site coordinators.”
“Especially the numerous activities currently being rolled out in the region require a coordinating force that bundles, networks and creates public awareness. H2 coordination is setting out to do exactly that,” says WiN Managing Director Bernd Groß. “In consultation with the coordinators, these bundled activities will also be carried beyond the region and further cooperation opportunities will be explored. This is also served by the joint presence of h2-netzwerk-ruhr and WiN Emscher-Lippe in the H2 Working Group of the President of the Münster administrative district,” adds Joachim Beyer, also Managing Director of WiN Emscher-Lippe GmbH.
Title photo: flickr / Dennis Skley, “News”, License here