Federal Environment Minister Svenja Schulze Visits h2-netzwerk-ruhr

Legal Framework Conditions for Hydrogen to Be Improved

It was precisely on International Environment Day, June 5, 2020, that the Federal Environment Minister paid a visit to h2-netzwerk-ruhr e.V. at its headquarters in Herten. And it was just a few days before the adoption of the Federal Government’s hydrogen strategy, which had already been expected for at least six months.

State Parliament Member Michael Hübner welcomed the Federal Environment Minister. It was at his initiative that this – now third – visit by Svenja Schulze to the Application Center in Herten took place. The Minister was accompanied by other state parliament members, Federal Parliament Member Michael Groß, and DGB Chairman Emscher-Lippe Mark Rosendahl.

The most important topic was the necessary amendment of the regulatory framework conditions for the use of hydrogen and the utilization of renewable energies in its production. The Minister explained that significant progress had already been made in the complex implementation of the EU’s RED II Directive. She expected that the transposition into national law could be completed shortly. This would remove the most important barriers to hydrogen production and use. Minister Schulze: “We do not have much time left. I can see what is happening around us, for example in the Netherlands.”

Volker Lindner presented h2-netzwerk-ruhr and explained the network’s current project idea, which is being advanced together with Westfälische Hochschule and the economic development agency WiN Emscher-Lippe as well as the City of Gelsenkirchen: “We need a test field for large-scale electrolysis – on a large scale” – for application-oriented research and further development of the technology and for the qualification of workers. Scaling up hydrogen technology will require large quantities of green hydrogen, which demands enormous amounts of electrolysis capacity.

With regard to the BP refinery in Gelsenkirchen and the proximity of the chemical park in Marl, the Federal Minister confirmed to the network: “You have the best conditions here for a demonstration center for electrolysis.”

Dr. Bernd Pitschak, Managing Director of the Gladbeck-based company Hydrogenics, took the opportunity to present to the Minister the activities and prospects of Hydrogenics. The company is currently preparing the production of fuel cells for a larger number of rail vehicles. The visit concluded with a tour of the H2 refueling station on Marie-Curie-Straße in Herten.

Title photo: Minister Svenja Schulze and State Parliament Member Michael Hübner inspect – accompanied by significant media interest – the H2 refueling station in Herten.