On the road to green industry: hydrogen on the Rhine and Ruhr - where do we currently stand and what's next?

“There is a high demand for hydrogen on the Rhine and Ruhr due to the climate targets set for the many manufacturing companies. After the teething troubles of recent years, development is now slowly picking up speed,” emphasizes Silvio Konrad, Chief Operating Officer of the TÜV NORD GROUP's Energy & Resources Business Unit. “We can see that the approvals for electrolyser projects and hydrogen pipeline projects are in place, that the final investment decisions are being made and that many companies are also specifically looking at converting their production processes to hydrogen, for example in chemical or steel production. And hydrogen is and remains the most promising solution for the green industry of the future.” This is what the energy expert said in the current podcast “Energieschub” on the ramp-up of the hydrogen economy in the Ruhr and Rhineland.

In it, he also calls for quick, clear framework conditions and subsidies for the market ramp-up, a certain flexibility in the hydrogen strategy that also allows blue hydrogen to be used, at least in the transition period. Investments in infrastructure, particularly in pipelines and storage facilities, and subsidies, including for converting existing plants to use hydrogen, are also needed.

With regard to the certification of green hydrogen, he points out: “We now have three certification procedures for green hydrogen that have been recognized at EU level and are being transposed into national law. However, certification bodies such as TÜV NORD cannot get started yet, but must first be recognized by the Federal Environment Agency as the competent body and accredited accordingly. These procedures have not yet been fully clarified.”

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