From gray to green: Saxony-Anhalt is the hydrogen state of the future
The cabinet adopts a hydrogen strategy for Saxony-Anhalt – an eight-point plan for the next two years
The state government has recently adopted a new hydrogen strategy with the aim of creating a framework for a green hydrogen economy in the industrial and energy state of Saxony-Anhalt. The focus is on green hydrogen, the majority of which will be produced locally. The state government has agreed an eight-point plan for the coming years that highlights the state’s main priorities in this area. Goals for the hydrogen economy have been formulated for the periods up to 2030 and up to 2040. The strategy has been produced on the basis of close cooperation between the Ministry of Environment, Agriculture and Energy, the Ministry of Economy, Science and Digitalization and the Ministry of Regional Development and Transport.
Hydrogen is already widely used in Saxony-Anhalt. In the south of the state there is an extensive, largely industrial hydrogen economy which currently relies on hydrogen that comes almost exclusively from fossil sources. The plan is to begin replacing this so-called gray hydrogen with carbon-free green hydrogen as soon as possible. This core hydrogen region will be expanded to create a hydrogen economy covering the entire state.
Achieving climate targets and safeguarding the future of industry
As the Energy Minister Professor Claudia Dalbert explained: “Saxony-Anhalt already produces four billion standard cubic meters of hydrogen and has long since been a hydrogen state. Now we plan to move from gray to green. In the future, hydrogen will be produced using renewable energies. This will enable us to achieve our climate targets and, at the same time, to secure the future of Saxony-Anhalt as an industrial state. To sum up, protecting the climate will safeguard jobs. We have drawn up the strategy together with industry and everyone has agreed that green hydrogen plays a key part in the energy transition. It is a fuel, a storage medium and a base chemical and can be used for a variety of purposes across a number of different sectors. The phase-out of coal will help us to develop a green model region for hydrogen in the south of the state.”
The state for future technologies: A state-wide hydrogen economy
“Our aim in the coming years is to transform Saxony-Anhalt into a state for future technologies. The production, storage and use of green hydrogen plays a central role in this, because green hydrogen will enable us to create new, high-quality jobs in the energy and automotive sectors here. In addition, when used as a fuel, it will also make an important contribution to safeguarding jobs in the state’s energy-intensive industries in the long term,” explained Minister for Economy, Professor Armin Willingmann. “Saxony-Anhalt has always been a key location for the chemical industry. That is why we are already able to push ahead with practical hydrogen projects with the help of high-profile partners from industry, such as Linde, and our outstanding research facilities. Since mid-2020, the Ministry for Economy has been funding the development of the electrolysis test platform established by the Fraunhofer Gesellschaft in Leuna. The ministry is also providing subsidies of around 15 million euros to the gas company Linde for the creation of the world’s largest production facility for producing and liquefying green hydrogen. I am optimistic that we can succeed in the next few years in making Saxony-Anhalt into one of the leading model regions for hydrogen in Germany. The proportion of renewable energies used in Saxony-Anhalt is already higher than in other German states. This is why the cost-effective production of green hydrogen is more likely to be successful here than anywhere else. It is essential that we continue to fund research and development projects and investments in businesses and infrastructure in this area in the years to come,” continued Willingmann.
Developing renewable energies and alternative drive systems for city buses
Because of its existing energy infrastructure, which includes the pipeline network, the storage caverns and the facilities for generating renewable energy, Saxony-Anhalt is in an excellent position to become a forward-looking, zero-carbon model region for hydrogen where green hydrogen can be produced, distributed, stored and used quickly in the local area.
In addition, it is important to establish the necessary planning conditions to allow for the ongoing development of renewable energies, including the accompanying grid expansion. Another item near the top of the agenda is alternative drive systems for city buses.
As Transport Minister Thomas Webel explained: “Public road transport can help to improve the public perception of alternative drive systems and also offers significant potential for reducing the emissions produced by traffic. For this reason, we are planning to invite tenders over the next year for a comparative study of city buses with alternative drives and the specific infrastructure needed to supply them with energy. In addition, the state of Saxony-Anhalt is providing active support to the operators and companies involved in public road transport to encourage them to introduce cleaner vehicles, while taking into account federal funding programs.” The planned hydrogen study will shed more light on the transport requirements of the state of Saxony-Anhalt.
Background:
The hydrogen strategy is available from the website of the Ministry of Environment, Agriculture and Energy of Saxony-Anhalt:
https://mule.sachsen-anhalt.de/energie/erneuerbare-energien/wasserstoff/.
How did the hydrogen strategy come about?
From the very beginning, the Ministry of Regional Development and Transport, the Ministry of Economy, Science and Digitalization and the Ministry of Environment, Agriculture and Energy included private- and public-sector companies, public authorities, scientific and research organizations, industry associations and chambers of commerce in the process of drawing up the hydrogen strategy. A stakeholder survey was held, followed by a green paper and white paper process, to develop and discuss in detail the goals, propositions, areas for action and possible measures with the interest groups and interested members of the public. This successful dialog will be continued in the future.
What happens next?
As part of the first steps toward achieving the medium- and long-term goals, the relevant ministries will implement the measures in the strategy’s eight-point plan.
The eight-point plan (page 19 of the strategy):
- Expand the network:
a) Establish an industrial working group for hydrogen
b) Make use of the investment advisory board for hydrogen projects
c) Set up a hydrogen coordination office
- Prepare a hydrogen study
- Prepare a study on alternative drives in public road transport
- Introduce an amendment to the state development plan to establish and adopt the foundations for the planning process
- Draw up guidelines on planning and approving hydrogen projects
- Gradually design and implement a funding framework for sustainable hydrogen
- Expand the research infrastructure
- Begin a dialog with citizens