Hesse's Economics Minister Tarek Al-Wazir (The Greens) has warned against placing too many hopes in the use of hydrogen as an energy source.

"I'm surprised who is now proclaiming the hydrogen age," said the Green politician at the digital national group assembly of the Association of Municipal Enterprises (VKU).

Basically, the minister is a proponent of hydrogen technology, the black-green state government is working on its own hydrogen strategy and is striving to bring a hydrogen technology center planned by the federal government to Hesse.

But Al-Wazir warns: Anyone who wants to use hydrogen should not resist the expansion of renewable energies.

"Unfortunately, the conversion is very power-intensive"

Ralf Euler

Editor in the Rhein-Main-Zeitung, responsible for the Rhein-Main section of the Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung.

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    Al-Wazir is convinced that hydrogen will be an important component of a future energy system that is independent of fossil and atomic sources. But it is neither in abundance nor in itself climate and environmentally friendly, but only if it is obtained from renewable energies. “Unfortunately, the conversion is very energy-intensive.” From the minister's point of view, this means two things: Hydrogen should only be used where there is no other solution foreseeable; for example in air traffic or in intercontinental shipping. "For applications in cars, for example, much more efficient and now powerful battery solutions will prevail." Second, anyone who says H for hydrogen must also say E for renewable energies and finally courageously encourage the expansion of wind and solar systems at the federal level.

    At best, Hessen will benefit indirectly from an EU program to promote hydrogen projects. According to the Ministry of Economic Affairs, the country applied for two projects. One of the applications had also been passed on to Brussels by the federal government, but the lead for the project was in Berlin, so it was not attributed to Hessen. Nevertheless - if the EU Commission were to accept the project - investments in Hesse can also be expected from the total volume of 270 million euros. The funding of the second Hessian project failed because the federal government decided during the process to only accept proposals in which hydrogen was generated 100 percent with "green electricity". Hessen was unable to meet this requirement.