62 German projects are to be funded by the state with more than eight billion euros as part of a large European hydrogen alliance. "We are taking a big step on the way to climate neutrality in our economy," said Economics Minister Peter Altmaier (CDU) on Friday in Berlin. In the steel and chemical industries in particular, several million tons of CO2 could be saved annually through the hydrogen projects. The European initiative would trigger massive investments in future technology by private sponsors, with a total of 33 billion euros.
The funded projects range from hydrogen production and transport to industrial use. Germany is in the process of becoming number one in the world when it comes to hydrogen, said Altmaier. So-called green hydrogen is a key element of the energy transition for the federal government. The aim is to produce hydrogen from renewable energies and use it as an alternative to fossil fuels - for example for the production of synthetic fuels, as a fuel in fuel cell vehicles or as a raw material in industry.
Transport Minister Andreas Scheuer emphasized: "We are making Germany a hydrogen country." At present, transport is still more than 95 percent dependent on fossil fuels. "We urgently need and want to promote the switch to climate-friendly mobility," emphasized the CSU politician.